Competitive Advantage: A Marketing Portfolio Analysis of Key Elements

This marketing portfolio explores the key elements of the marketing mix (product, price, promotion, place, and people) and how different organizations leverage them to gain a competitive advantage. It provides academic definitions for each element and then highlights how companies like Cadbury (product), British Airways (price), Coca-Cola (promotion), Paddy Power (place), and Disney Theme Parks (people) have utilized these elements to their advantage. The portfolio includes examples of Cadbury's brand extension strategy, Coca-Cola's promotional techniques, Paddy Power's distribution channels, Disney's workforce training, and British Airways' pricing strategies. The analysis is underpinned by relevant marketing theory, demonstrating how each company strategically employs these marketing mix components to achieve success and outpace their rivals.

MARKETING PORTFOLIO

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Product........................................................................................................................................3
Price............................................................................................................................................6
Promotion....................................................................................................................................7
Place..........................................................................................................................................11
People........................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

Marketing mix is a model consume set of factors that influence the business operations and
strategic choices of the business entity. This report is all about the different elements associated
with the marketing mix. Discussion will be done under this project over product, price, place,
promotion and people like factors. Different companies description will be taken to demonstrate
about all these elements or factors under this study.
MAIN BODY
Product
“The product is defined as everything that is received by a customer in an exchange or
transaction. It is a complexity of tangible and intangible attributes, including functional, social,
economic and psychological utilities or benefits. A product can be a physical good, a service, an
idea, or any combination of these three” Dibb et al, p299)
“A product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or
consumption. It includes physical objects, service, personalities, place, organizations and ideas”
(Philip Kotler)
“Product is a bundle of utilities consisting of various features and accompanying services.” (W.
Alderson)
The product is the most important aspect for the success of the company. The reason
underlying this fact is that if the product of the company is not good then this will not attract the
consumers. And as a result of this the profitability of the company will decrease and people will
not like to buy the products of the company. Thus because of this reason only it is very essential
for the company to maintain the product quality and the standard (Blut, Teller and Floh, 2018).
In the present studied the company undertaken is Cadbury which is the company dealing in
multinational confectionery company. The company provides a wider range of products and
services to the consumers. The major range of the product includes the different chocolates like
Bourneville, Cadbury dairy milk, dairy milk fruit and nut, five star, bournvita, Oreo, black carrot
mini rolls and a large variety of chocolates and bars. The product range of the company is very
wide and involves a lot of variety of the toxic. In addition to this the company also classify the
products in accordance to the season and involves the particular seasonal items only.

In addition to this the brand name Cadbury is very large and is being like by the
consumers to a great extent. The reason and the line this fact is that the brand name plays a
crucial role within the effective attraction of the consumers. This is particularly because of the
reason that if the brand name is not there then the consumer will not know the value of the
product. Hence in order to increase the value of the product it is very essential for Cadbury to
work on the brand name. For this Cadbury created an iconic purple branding (Thabit and Raewf,
2018). In certain program a person was asked that which chocolate what colour comes in minded
person quickly set for people. The reason and the line this fact is that the packing of Cadbury
involves purple colour. This colour is the major brand image of the product of Cadbury because
the people know the product by the colour. Hence it is very essential for Cadbury to maintain the
brand name so that more and more people get attracted towards it.

In addition to this another key aspect of the product is its packaging. The reason and the
line this fact is that the packaging also attracts team consumer to a great extent. This packaging
involves the details over the productive and also involves the description and the details of the
ingredients of the product. In addition to this the logo of the companies also present over the
packaging. And if the packing is good and attractive than this will definitely attract more of the
consumers and people will like find the products by just seen the packing of the product. Hence
it is also very essential for Cadbury to work on their effective packaging so that majority of the
consumers are attracted towards the product and services of Cadbury. In addition to this the
packaging of the products of Cadbury is also similar that is proper packaging for all the products
whether it be a chocolate or any other bar (Pomering, 2017). The reason underlying this fact is
that if there is similarity between the packaging of the products then this will definitely attract
consumers. In addition to this when the packaging a similar than the consumers can easily
identify the product of the same company. Hence this creates a good and major impact over the
consumers and their requirement. This is particularly because of the reason that for instance of
person went to buy some chocolates and they saw the purple packaged chocolates then they will
strike that it belongs to the Cadbury company and it will be a good quality. Hence they will
purchase the product by just seeing the packing of theme product.

Price
“Price is the value placed on what is exchanged. The buyer exchanges buying power-which
depends on the buyer’s income, credit and wealth- for satisfaction or utility.” (Dibb et al,
p.585)
“The price is the amount of money charged for a product or service, or the sum of all the values
that customers give up in order to gain the benefit of having or using a product or service”
(Armstrong and Kotler 2009, p.263)
“Otherwise from the point of the marketing perspective, a price is an opportunity to gain
competitive advantage and even to increase market share.” (Simon and Dolan 1997, pp.10-
14)
The price is also an essential element for the success of the business as if the price will
not be accurately charged then this will result in effective profitability of the company. Hence it
is very essential for the business that they effectively decide for the price to be charged for the
product and services of the company. The reason underlying this fact is that the price will only
decide the profitability of the company. There are many different pricing strategies which can be
implemented by the company in order to charge against the services.
Price Skimming is a product pricing strategy by which a firm charges the highest initial
price that customers will pay and then lowers it over time.
The most common type of pricing strategy is the price skimming method. The reason underlying
this fact is that this is the strategy where in the company first charges the high prices in order to
attract the high class people. After that when the segment is attracted than a price is later
decreased. This is done in order to attract the middle class people and then after covering that
area of the prices are lower the little more (Ndofirepi, Farinloye and Mogaji, 2020). This pricing
strategy is being used by British Airways as they charge high prices for the consumer for the
same flight in accordance to the background. This method is helpful to British Airways in
staying ahead with the competition so that they are in position of recovering their financial losses
and on good amount of profits.
According to (Dibb et al, p.599) price discrimination is a policy in which different prices
are charged in order to give a particular group of buyers a competitive edge.
In addition to this another major pricing strategy which the British Airways and other
competitors can use is the price discrimination strategy. Under the price discrimination strategy
the company charges different prices from different set of consumers. These prices can be set in

accordance with the age discount or some other bases like the distance of the travel. For instance
British Airways charges for the short-term destination for the business class where is the
premium class has higher prices for the short destination is well. The reason underlying this fact
is that term if the premium consumer is travelling then they will pay a good amount of money. In
against of this if the consumers are average of middle class people then they will not for the
prices and this will reduce the size of the company and because of this the medium prices are
being charged to the middle class people (Othman and et.al., 2019).
Along with this and other major pricing strategy being adopted is team low pricing
strategy. This is a type of pricing strategy where and the company charges lower prices
depending on the situation. For instance, if there is not much season of travel than the British
Airways will reduce their prices. This is done in order to attract more of the consumers because
when there will be off season then people will not travel and if they will come to know that
prices have been lowered then there are possibilities that they will travel to other places. Hence,
it can be stated that the profits of the company will increase if they complies with good pricing
strategies.
Promotion
According to Philip Kotler, “Promotion includes all activities the company undertakes to
communicate and promote its product to the target market.”
According to W.J. Stanton, “Promotion is the element in an organization’s marketing mix that
serves to inform, persuade and remind the market of the organization or its products.”
According (Dibb et al, p.469), “Promotion is communication with individuals, groups or
organizations in order to facilitate exchanges by informing and persuading audiences to
accept a company’s products.”
For the success of the company the most essential aspect is to have effective promotional
activities. The reason underlying this fact is that I'm if the company will not be having good and
effective promotional activities then this will not attract consumers. In the current competitive
world the competition is at its peak and if the company will not be having good promotional
activities then this will not attract the consumers (Dost and et.al., 2019). For this it is very
essential for coca cola to undertake and implement effective promotional strategies. For the
effective promotional activities Coca-Cola has set a benchmark for the advertising and branding.
The reason underlying this fact is that Coca-Cola focuses major Leon aggressive marketing with

their ad campaigns with help of mediums like TV online advertisement print media sponsorship
and many other different forms of advertising.
Sponsorship is the financial or material support of an event, activity, person, organization,
or product by an unrelated organization or donor.(Dibb et al, p.482)
In addition to this the traditional method of advertising the company also majorly focuses
on sponsorship. This sponsorship is a marketing technique where in the company provides some
financial support for the event which can be of charity or any other type of event for economic
development. Hence for this Coca-Cola has sponsored the event FIFA World Cup. The company
Coca-Cola is one of the longest standing corporate partners of FIFA which has a formal
association since the year 1974 and they are the official sponsors of FIFA World Cup (COCA
COLA, 2021). In addition to this Coca-Cola also had stadium advertising at every FIFA World
Cup since the time 1950.
Advertising is a paid of non-personal communication about an organization and its products that
is transmitted to a target audience through a mass medium. (Dibb, Simkin, Pride and Ferrell,
p477)
For the effective advertising is well there are many different campaigns which Coca-Cola
as undertaken. Out of all the most common is din campaign named open happiness. as a part of
the global co side of Life campaign this open happiness was an integrated marketing campaign
which ruled in India in the year 2009 after getting successful in US in late January 2009.the first
open happiness and film was name to dost which featured Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir.

This open happiness campaign was offered as a stimulator for being happy and celebrating any
spontaneous moment with happiness along with Coca-Cola.
Social media
Digital marketing is the use of technology – led channels of communications and selling to
manage customer interaction and provide customer experience in digitally connected
environment. (Dibb et al, p.482)
Social media is an important place to promote the products and services offer by the
business entity. This involves promotion over different social media applications like Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram and many such applications. These are the platforms that can be consumed
over the social media application that can favour the business entity to promote its products and
services in front of the target customers at a global level. Social media platform is among the
prominent practice that business entity keep focused on in against to deliver the promotion and

advertisement practices of the business entity. In the present time Coca Cola Company hold one
million followers that always look for the promotional activities of the business entity. This
support the campaign to maximises the overall potential of the campaign launch by the business
entity. This promotional practice is cost oriented and friendly to achieve the overall success of
the business entity in the respective market (Azhar, Prayogi and Sari, 2018). The social media
advertisement is well sufficient to maximises the overall success of the business entity in the
respective market. The tool of social media application motivates the business entity to not only
drive the campaign but also to control the campaign in the best way possible. This is stated that
the mode of social media marketing support the business entity to maximises the overall success
of the business operations deliver by the organisation. This is essential that company hold these
practices as it favour the business organisation to reach at the final objectives of company along
with achieving high success in company branding with support of the social media
advertisement.
Sales promotion
Sales promotions is an activity or material that acts as a direct inducement by offering added
value to or incentive for the product to resellers, sales people or consumers. (Dibb et al, p.481)
Sales promotion is another way to promote company product and services in the market.
This is about to provide free products to customers or the gift vouchers to create an excitement in

the customers against making up the sales of the company. Company also offer reward point to
customers so that business entity can get engaged with the customers for making up or achieving
sales targets of the organisation. Sales promotion is the activity or technique of promotion
involve promoting the products of Coca Cola Company at the time of making up sales of the
products of the business entity (Sudari and et.al., 2019). This is an innovative idea to make sales
of the company products in the respective market. This strategy has been very effective for the
company as it favour the product sales for company in the most unique way possible.
Place
According to Kotler, the definitions of place is “ the various the company undertakes to make the
product accessible and available to target costumer.”
Place refers to the means by which products can be distributed to the consumers. The product
must get to the right place at the right time.
According to Dibb et al (p403) “Distributions involves activities that make products available to
customers when and where they want to purchase them. It’s sometimes referred as place in
the marketing mix of the 5ps.”
Paddy Power is a company that engaged selling services for its customers. The focus of
the organisation is over the entertainment of customers. Company utilizes different factors such
as global supply system, multi and omni channels to market, selecting channels, managing
channels and online, offline and mobile channels for the purpose to reach at the maximum level
of business growth. The organisation aim to expand its business operations at a global level.
Different channels that business entity use and explore also support the business entity to gain
competitive advantage against the place involve in the business operations drive by the
organisation. Company has aimed to use of multiple channels that can favour in enhancing the

overall business objectives of the company (Dadzie and et.al., 2017). This can be stated as the
fact that in context to the channels associated with the business environment this create a huge
impact over the business performance of the business entity. This can reflect over the fact and
aspect that the organisation must respond to the channels when it comes to analysing the overall
scope of the organisation in respective market (Stead and Hastings, 2018). The distribution
channel use by the company not only support business entity to make an effective sales against
the business operation drive by the organisation but it also support the business entity to design
the supply of product at different locations. Further the customer satisfaction is an element that
deeply influenced with the level of services business entity deliver to the customers.
Channels that are used by the company favor the organization to interact with the
customers. Interaction of potential part of the business entity is very important as the customers
allow the company to reach at the best level of product efficiency. The channels support
company in collecting feedback against the services deliver by the business entity in the market.
The support of online and offline modes could allow the company to maximise the sals
retrun of company in a very limited time (Wu and Li, 2018). Distribution channel at a global leel
could fix the company demand in the market. This can assertain that the business entiy will be
capable enough to meet up the overall requirements at different places asssociated with business
operations.

People
The aspect of the marketing mix that reflects the level of customer service, sales support and
after-sales back-up required, involving recruitment policies, training, retention and
motivation of key personnel.” (Dibb et al, p30)
“All people who directly or indirectly influence the perceived value of the product or service,
including knowledge workers, employees, management and consumers.”
Disney Theme Park is a company that cater to all types of peoples that are seeking for
entertainment. This is essential to understand the requirements of the people. Company has not
only taken care of the customers but also of the employees of the organisation. The organisation
cater the training for the employees, self motivating training camps, management customer staff
engagement, touch versus technology, customer to customer engagement and service failure
recovery like practices. All these support the business entity to get engaged wit the potential
customers and the stakeholder group of the business entity (Solimun and Fernandes, 2018).
Disney theme park has a perfect place for all the people, gander and all types of entertainment
enthusiasts. This can state that the stakeholder group of the company is really huge that can
allow and favour the business entity to get engaged with all types or category of customer group
in against to deliver the business practices of the organisation.
Marketing mix consume different factors such as product, price, place, promotion and
people. All these are the different elements that allow the company to achieve all its various
business objectives. This can ascertain that the business entity require to look after all these
factors before formulating any policy or practice of the business operations (Mahmoud, 2018). It
can denote that al the different factors involve both traditional and modern approaches to
undertake the practices in against to deliver the overall business objectives of company.

REFERENCES
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Online
COCA COLA. 2021. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.fifa.com/what-we-do/marketing/sponsorship/partners/coca-
cola#:~:text=The%20Coca%2DCola%20Company%20is,FIFA%20World%20Cup
%20since%201950. >