In an evolving market and with evolving technology, there is no single approach to ensure your success. Your ability to adapt and your flexibility to face different challenges is what will give you an advantage over your competitors. In my role as a Commercial Executive, I have always been fascinated by marketing. When I went to study at the University, Marketing was just beginning as a new domain of studies derived from Business (in my country). I finished my Bachelor of Business Administration with a bunch of optional Marketing courses and continued to read book after book and article after article to improve my knowledge of this field.

One thing I knew for sure is that real life is not what we study in books when it comes to Marketing (among other things). The 4 Ps (also known as the Marketing Mix, which includes: Product, Price, Place and Promotion) were valid for me at all times since they were the first ones that attracted me in my Introduction to University Marketing course. Adding to the 4Ps or changing them to the 4Cs (Commodity, Cost, Channel and Communication) to reflect a consumer focus is just a pun as I see it.

What am I offering? What am I expecting in return? Where is my offer available? And what are the means that I am using to let people know about my offer, is how I really see marketing. For me it is more than just a business transaction. From political figures to religious leaders or even a job seeker, you need to know how to make your offer public.

It’s about people. If you have something and people want it, they will buy it or participate in it. It doesn’t matter if it’s an article or an idea, it doesn’t matter if they pay or get it for free, if people like it, they’ll want to get it. The 4Ps approach, the 4Cs, or any other academic approach, is more intended to explain to us how these things work together, but they are simply points of reference. Although they are very useful (I used them a lot in real life experiences), some will be surprised by the complexity of the markets and the people they will be dealing with.

I face this challenge every time I launch a new project or a new service. In a competitive world where monopoly rules do not apply, you will most likely be the last to offer a product rather than the first. To be more specific (related to my own field), what are the chances of a new company being the first mobile operator in the US? None! (AT&T, Verizon, etc.)

I never worked in my field in the US, rather I picked contract after contract in developing countries. In those markets, new entrants into the mobile arena are still appearing. Even in saturated markets, someone still believes that they have a chance to succeed by starting a new business. Most think about positioning (yet another P). They think they have a chance to stand out from the crowd. This is where the challenges begin.

In my field, mobile communication, I am not offering anything new (I used to be new to those markets when I first tackled this field). The mistake that many make is to link the product to the price. If I am offering the same product as the existing business, I lower my prices and gain market share. It is not as easy as it looks. I have seen many fall for it. In a market where your competitor is a well-established business with a significant market share, they can challenge you for a long time when it comes to pricing. They already paid for your equipment, while you will have a hard time breaking even let alone return on investment.

Many variables govern the market and you can’t just capture everything. Humans are not machines. Although we are quite sensitive to price (especially when it comes to poor countries), social status and individual psychology, among others, are essential variables to take into account.

One of my company’s competitors offered prices that were almost half of ours. They surely secured a market share in the first quarter by doing so. However, he was monitoring his performance all the time. For advertising they were cheaper than others; they were actually advertising that they are cheap. The public understood that they are a company that offers its services to the poor. At a certain stage, they had almost doubled the number of our subscribers, but they had the “cheap” subscribers. The average revenue per user (ARPU) we had was $16/month, while their ARPU was about $1.8. Within two years, that company was sold before it went bankrupt.

Although I may have complicated your understanding so far, I honestly think it’s pretty simple:

1. Define your product. It can be an idea or a commodity. You may just want the world to know you’re there. You may just want to express your opinion. You may just want to share with others. What do you want to do? Set a goal: I want to sell canned air! Congratulations, many thought of that before you! Don’t let that stop you. You are the only one who can measure your own success. Perhaps his goal was just to prove a point, selling a can of air!
2. Define a Price. They say that nothing is free. Although your offer may be free, it costs something to whoever buys it. If it was a commodity, then the other person is paying for it in material form (it can be money or some form of barter). If it was an idea, they at least take the time to listen to you or read your article.
3. Define a place. Even a beggar on the street tries to choose the best place. I have never seen a beggar waiting to collect money in the middle of a road where there is no place to park the car. I see them a lot though near traffic lights. It can be your house, your neighborhood, your town, your city or even the world. How you are going to spread your product also depends on you and your skills.
4. Define a Promotion. What is the best approach you think is right for getting the word out about your product? Is it just using your mouth? Brochure printing? Using the Internet?

Don’t depend on one component; coordinates the use of the mixture. There is no better evaluator of your product’s success than yourself. You define what you expect. Don’t let fear rule you.

Of course, this is not the right approach for people who want to make money. This is how I see marketing being much more widespread than just a “simple” business transaction. When I started my website, I wanted to share my opinions with others. I expected to have 5 people reading my articles until the end. I didn’t even expect anyone to comment, though I hoped they would. Since I relaunched my site (about two months before writing this article) I had more than 130 Visitors who stayed more than 2 minutes reading one article or another. I had 22 comments, but only 5 of them were not spam. I succeeded? According to my goals, I did, but hey, I’m human and I expect more.

In my professional life, I set much higher standards. I am more cautious because my job provides the food that I put on the table for my family. In future articles I will talk more in depth about the marketing mix, from a professional experience. I will talk about positioning, segmentation, ARPU, among other topics that I deal with on a daily basis. In a real world there is no single approach to guarantee success. Sharing your thoughts with others can lead them to find a solution that they have always been looking for. Sometimes your product can be just that: helping others.