Managing the marketing mix

Managing the marketing mix is the central task of marketing professionals. The marketing mix is the set of marketing tools – often summarized as the ‘four Ps’: the product, its price, promotion and place – that the firm uses to achieve its objectives in its target market (McCarthy, 2001). The key elements in the marketing mix are shown in Figure 11.1. The design of the marketing mix normally forms the core of all marketing courses and the textbooks that support them.