Coursework 1: Comparative Analysis of Marketing Mix Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive secondary research analysis of the marketing mix strategies employed by PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch game consoles. It examines the application of the 4Ps (product, price, place, and promotion) for each brand, detailing their target markets, product offerings, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotional activities. The report highlights how each company uses these elements to gain a competitive advantage in the gaming industry, with specific attention to how they cater to different consumer segments and adapt to market trends. The analysis includes a comparison of brand image, pricing policies, distribution channels, and promotional campaigns, and concludes with a summary of the effectiveness of the marketing mix for each brand. The report utilizes academic sources to support the findings and offers insights into how marketing strategies influence brand success and customer engagement.

PRINCIPLES OF
MARKETING

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction..............................................................................................................................4
Target market.......................................................................................................................4
Products:...............................................................................................................................4
Price:......................................................................................................................................5
Place:.....................................................................................................................................5
Promotion:............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................6
References.................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is an important process of every firm as it helps in creating awareness
among people about company products and services and influences them to purchase specific
firm products. Therefore it is helps in increasing firm profitability and market share by
meeting needs of customers. This report is a secondary research that explains about
marketing mix used by Play station 4 Games Console and Nintendo Switch Game Console.
TARGET MARKET
Play station 4 games console target market is men that age group between 18-40 that
most likes to spend time with their friends and family. Those having personality and attitude
of immerse and competitive Gamers are the target market for play station games. People that
mostly like to play games and have leisure’s times are influenced by the marketer of play
station so that they can motivate them to purchase thus increase sales and profitability of
company. People that are belonging to high class that are having enough money to spend on
playing games in order to effectively spend their leisure time (Azhar and et.al. 2019). Target
customers of play station 4 are highly educated and intelligent. Therefore it can explained
that Playstation 4 brand influence and motivate high class people to prefer products and
services of specific company.
On the other hand Nintendo co. Ltd is Japanese video games and electronic firm that
is well known to offer largest video games. It is classified or segmented people on basis of
demographical structure and behavioral pattern of people living in the society. Therefore
Nintendo also target customers that are highly interested in playing games such as kids and
adult people. Target customers of Nintendo games belong to age group of 15-35 that are
highly influenced and motivated to purchase video games have fun at their home with their
families and friends (Wieland, 2018). It is able to gain competitive advantages as compared
to other companies as most of the people think they plays games just for fun not for
competition. Therefore it target customers are mainly kids and younger generation that likes
to plays videos games in their leisure time.
PRODUCTS:
Firm is run established and operated in order to provide quantitative products and
services at specific prices so that it can earn large amount of profit margin. Play station 4
games console is brand name of videos games as well as of media centers and online
services. It has wide varieties of products and services such as line of controllers and two
handhelds phone in order to meet needs and demand of each customer. Therefore wide
varieties and quality of products attract large number of people to purchase products and
services of Play station 4 gaming console.
Whereas products and services of Nintendo are categorized into six products range
and offer products such as Color TV and games, watch. Brand image of both company are
strongly established in the market that helps customers to choose best option from above two

brands. The brand image of products and services of both companies can be understand
through Aaker’s Brand image Models:
Brand loyalty: It means number of customers always choose a particular company products
and services in comparison to other products of competitors. Nintendo is one of the leading
Japanese firms that offer qualitative products and services to customers. On the other hand
play station 4 games by maintaining qualitative of its products and continuous bringing new
ideas and innovation is able to retened customers’ loyalty.
Brand awareness: Both firms have created awareness among people about their brand image
through their innovative product range and updated technologies so that customers are
provided qualitative services (Patil, and Bach, 2017). After sales services of firm also help
them to expand and grow its market share across worldwide. Nintendo is one of the leading
and prior firm that provide products related to entertainment and software and hardware for
its Home console.
Perceived Quality: Both companies have maintained qualitative products and services to
large number of customers. Therefore, people have perceived standard and quality of
products in order to develop and maintain customers’ satisfaction.
Brand association: People of age group between 15- 35 are well known about brand image
of Nintendo games console whereas people who belongs to 18-40 that are adult and younger
people associate themselves with play station in order to fulfill needs of spending leisure time
effectively.
Other proprietary: Various trademarks and patent are used by both companies so that
customers can easily distinguish between play station products and Nintendo games.
Therefore patent, trademarks and copyright helps firms gaining competitive positioning and
meeting needs and demands of customers.
PRICE:
Sometimes firms in order to increase its market share and profit margin plans to build
strong brand image so that people are attracted to purchase products and services of specific
firm. Nintendo is able to expand its business because of strong pricing policies to attract large
number of customers to make purchase of firm. It also helps firm to get competitive position
as compared to other companies such as Playstation4 and Xbox as it is not to expensive so
most of the people can afford to buy products of Nintendo.
On the other hand Playstation 4 games console have premium pricing strategies as it
has innovative and update technologies as compared to other brand in the industry that attract
people of high class. At the same time firm also uses skimming pricing policies in previous
years as demand of videos games were higher (Bohrer, 2018). But on company is planning to
continuous reducing prices of products as they are large number of competitors and high
pricing has result in low sales of company. Therefore, company by changing its pricing
strategies is able to attract large number of customers and able to sustain and survive in

market. It profitability and market share, sales volume has increased to large extent due to
changes in its pricing policies.
PLACE:
It includes where firm is planning to launch and provide products and services to
customers so that they can easily use it in order to satisfy their needs and wants. Playstation
provides its product through online sites and various offline distributors such as Amazon,
Wal-Mart, GamesStop and numerous stores so that customers can easily purchase their
product through such stores and online websites (Ndofirepi, Farinloye and Mogaji, 2020). It
has number of stores across worldwide that helps in increasing profitability and market share
of firm. It is planning to attract new as well as existing customers through presence in online
sites as it provide ease to customers by delivering products and services at their doorsteps.
Whereas Nintendo Switch game console has its presences in most part of countries so
that people can easily purchase products to meet their needs and requirements. Research and
development department of company is highly innovative that is able to satisfied needs of
large number of customers. Europe, United states Japan and France are some of the place
where its stores are present so that people can purchase videos games and can enjoy their
leisure time effectively (Paniandi and et.al., 2018). Another advantage that company has
powerful distribution channel that helps in fast and quick delivery of products and services to
large number of customers. Therefore promote growth and success of company by enhancing
sales volume and profitability. It products are placed at gaming stores, hypermarkets,
shopping malls and electrical retail outlets so that people can easily come and make purchase
of products. Thus, it can be explained that place or distribution channels of products plays an
important role in influencing customers to make purchase products of particular brands.
PROMOTION:
It refers to various strategies that company has planned in order to promote products
and services to people living in the society for earning large number of profit margin.
Nintendo by using slogan to market entertainment system of firm is able to attract attention of
wide number of people to prefer company products over playstation game console brand.
Various taglines are also launched by firm for building strong brand image such as Super
power, Play it Loud and Portable power (Koo, Kim, and Kim, 2016). It also actively
participates in welfare program for growth and development of society thus helps in
increasing sales of products and brand image. Firm has also organize campaign and built
Starlight Fun center Mobile entertainment so that mood of children in hospital can be made
better.
Whereas for promotion of playstation umbrellas brand strategy is used where all
products are promoted in name of parents brand to increase sales of firm. It has makes
appropriate uses of media in order to promote products of company through television and
online websites. One of the best promotional strategies that firm has used to sales products is
customers can test its product through display in its various stores. Two more factors that

promote sales of Playstation are advertisement through online and its own exclusive line of
games that helps firm in gaining competitive advantages in the industry.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it can be concluded that two brands namely Play station and
Nintendo is able to increasing its name by using appropriate marketing mix. Nintendo is able
to meet needs and demands of kids and younger whereas Play station is able to satisfy adult
people. Nintendo products can be afforded by each and every individual whereas Play station
is highly costly so prefer by high class. It can also be concluded from above report marketing
strategies helps in increasing firm profitability, market share and brand image.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Azhar, M.E. and et.al. 2019. The role of marketing mix and service quality on tourist
satisfaction and loyalty at Samosir. Independent Journal of Management &
Production, 10(5), pp.1662-1678.
Bohrer, K.M., 2018. Marketing mix nas plataformas do ambiente virtual.
Koo, K.R., Kim, S.J. and Kim, K.H., 2016. The effects of internal marketing capability on
export marketing strategy, B2B marketing mix and export performance. Journal of
Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 26(1), pp.51-65.
Ndofirepi, E., Farinloye, T. and Mogaji, E., 2020. Marketing mix in a heterogenous higher
education market: a case of Africa.
Paniandi, T.A and et.al., 2018. Marketing mix and destination image, case study: Batu Caves
as a religious destination. Almatourism-Journal of Tourism, Culture and Territorial
Development, 9(17), pp.165-186.
Patil, D. D. and Bach, C., 2017. Marketing-Mix For Strategy Building. Marketing, 4(4).
Saidani, B. and Sudiarditha, I .K. R., 2019. Marketing Mix-7ps: The Effect on Customer
Satisfaction. Jurnal Pendidikan Ekonomi Dan Bisnis (JPEB), 7(1), pp.72-86.
Wieland, J., 2018. SME Marketing Mix Standardization in the B2B Market. Journal of
Management Policy and Practice, 19(1).