The 7Ps of the marketing mix can open up an array of possibilities for a business to assess its strategy and build a competitive edge over its competitors. The relevance of these Ps is more than ever today. To have that X factor in your business, you need to frequently access these 7 Ps and modify it according to what the market demands. Applying them in a right and meaningful way can make or break the deal for any entrepreneur and his organization.
In the last part of the 7Ps of Marketing, we discussed the first two Ps that are: Product and Price.
Now once you have an amazing product and an appropriate pricing strategy, the next step is deciding on the interface of the product that the customers will experience and the best possible way the product will be delivered which the next 2 Ps, Physical evidence, and Process covers.
And here is how it can be done!
Physical evidence:
- How is the interface of your website/application?
- What about the layout and design of your shop?
- How are your products placed?
- How does your personnel dress and act?
- Your packaging and branding
These are some of the questions and things that need to be kept in mind while working on the Physical Evidence of the Marketing mix. It includes everything a customer sees while interacting with your business. They are the elements that a customer experiences along their journey with you right from the beginning. Say, the layout of your shop, the interface of your website, personnel, packaging, and branding, everything comes under this P. It offers the physical evidence about a business being legitimate and reliable. It consists of things by which a customer recognizes the business. A good marketeer makes sure to make the best out of it!
Example: Bluedart
Every time you come across a Bluedart delivery vehicle, you immediately recognize it because of its blue and green color theme. This is how it is different from its competitors and this is how a customer recognizes the brand.
Process:
Now, after you have a nice physical evidence in place, the next step is the way the product is delivered to the customer.
- How the product is packaged?
- How well are the customers attended to?
- How good is the support system offered?
- How long does it take for delivering a product?
These are the major questions that need to be answered while working on this P. A good process, will form a good image of the brand and the business, and a bad process will do vice versa. Personalization, on-time delivery, good support services, etc a can help in fruitful delivery of the product and can create a wonderful customer experience.
Example: Nykaa
The way the product is delivered, from packaging to small personalized notes and on-time delivery, Nykaa surely is a great example to show how important a good process is in a business.
Now once a user-friendly interface is decided upon and the best possible way to deliver is known, the next step is deciding about where your product is going to get sold, how are you going to make awareness about your product, and making sure you have the right people for the job.
And this is what our next three Ps- Place, Promotion and People are about! Stay tuned for the next part!
Author(s):
Kavya Sehgal
Swadha Agarwal
