Portfolio: Marketing Mix & Competitive Advantage Strategies

This portfolio examines the role of the marketing mix in achieving a competitive advantage in the dynamic marketing landscape. It defines the marketing mix as comprising the four Ps: place, price, product, and promotion, highlighting their importance in presenting products or services to customers and guiding resource allocation. The portfolio analyzes various organizations across different sectors, focusing on the key factors and elements of their marketing activities that contribute to a competitive edge. It discusses each element of the marketing mix in detail, providing examples from companies like Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrison's, and IHG Hotels & Resorts. The portfolio emphasizes the importance of understanding target demographics, pricing strategies, distribution channels, and promotional activities in creating a successful marketing mix.

Portfolio of written work

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References .....................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
In the current era, the world of marketing is changing very dynamically with the
development of consumers from time to time (Chen, 2018). This report designs to highlight the
role of marketing mix in the market with the purpose of achieving the competitive advantage in
the market. The term marketing mix is defined as the main part of marketing of a good service
and it comprises of four Ps such as place, price, product and promotion. These are the main
elements which are associated with marketing in reference to good or services The report will
highlight the role of marketing mix in the industry as it supports the company to present their
product or services to its customers and also serves as a valuable guide for resource allocation.
The report will present various range of organisation across the wide range of sectors. Further,
the report will highlight the main factors and elements of their marketing activities which allows
the company to increase a competitive advantage over their competitors (Ooi and Ramlee, 2021).
Main Body
AJ Beltis states that (2020), marketing mix is also called as the four Ps such as place, price,
product and promotion. The mix comprises of actions of the company which acts as a proper
framework of the key four components. Also, this mix allows the company to organise the
marketing campaigns in order to come up with new and innovative strategies to sell the products
(How to Develop a Successful Marketing Mix Strategy, 2020).
It can be said that marketing mix comprises of factors that can create a major impact on
the customers in reference to the purchase of the products. Marketing Mix is said to be the
popular framework that has been used by various organisations to make and implement
marketing strategies in more efficient manner. Under this the company focus on various factors
and elements of the market for the main goal of achieving the long term desired targets and
purpose (Bunruedi and Priyakorn , 2022).
According to Alchemer LLC(2021), This literature review examines the four P's of the
marketing mix with the outlining the various components of four P's that are place, price, product
and promotion. Additionally, it illustrates the ways to determine the ideal marketing mix so that
the companies will be able to serve the market better with better profits. If the company is
focusing on targeted customers then , the company should also consider the demographics of
larger population. And when the company is able to understand the profile of the targeted

customers then any company can develop its marketing strategy to attract the best customers (An
introduction to Marketing Mixes & The 4P's of Marketing, 2021).
From the above information, it can be said that marketing mix is one of the main and
powerful concept used and developed for management and executives that consider all of the
tools available to marketers (Rahman and Ayaz, 2018).All the elements of the marketing mix
influence each other and it helps in handling the business plan effectively that also comes up
with business plan for a company which is directly linked to the greater success. It also refers to
the set of actions that a company uses to upgrade its brand or product in the marketplace.
Nonetheless,nowadays the marketing mix increasingly includes people,politics,packaging
(Salem, 2019).
Product
Products are defined as the crucial component as all the other factors depend upon the product.
It means to the items actually being sold in the market for the customers and the product must
deliver a minimum level of performance also (Giantari and Sukaatmadja, 2021).
For example, Sainsbury's provides a wide offering of its product range that considers
Ready -to-eat meals and bakery products ,TU range,a clothing range,low fat content for health -
conscious customers and food items for those who are allergic to dairy,gluten and wheat.
Whereas, Tesco offers technology & gaming, health & beauty, home electrical, entertainment,
books, home appliances, clothing & jewellery, baby & toddler,Car accessories, garden, toys,
and many others.
For example Tesco presents wide variety of products such as financial services, food,
clothing, stationery, cosmetics and many others. It also takes care of every possible need of the
customers. It also sells products from great brands in almost every product line and It also has
its own products too. Tesco’s own brands such as Everyday Value, Tesco Lotus, Tesco Value,
and F&F Clothing.
Another company that is Morrison's is also a leading company in the same sector and its
main focus is on the fresh products because providing fresh products is the main reason for
success of the company. In order to make best products they have their own manufacturing
production units. At both shops and factories the company serve fresh and premium products.
Another example is of IHG hotel as they serve various set of services to the customers as
per their different requirements. The hotel provides services like guest rooms, food facilities,

health facilities, parking facilities and recreational facilities and many others. The main goal of
the hotel is to provide the best level services by keeping the customers satisfied.
According to Alexa (2021), The author examines the product as a good or service which
is offered to meet the demands of the customers. The product or service should be of good
quality which provides the features, quality, variety,good packaging and many others. That is
why the product plays a crucial role in the growth of the company. It is the duty of the
management and managers to produce such products which are as per the requirement of the
customers (The Importance of Marketing Mix in Your Growth Strategy, 2021).
Price
This is one of the revenue generating element from the four P's which mainly depend upon on
the various factors such as targeted segment,cost of the production,ability of the market to pay
and many others. There are different types of pricing strategies which are associated with the
overall business plan in order to expand in the market. That is why, pricing can also be used to
separate and raise the image of a product in the market with other competitors.
For example, Sainsbury's practises competitive pricing policies rather of price cutting
policy. Its pricing strategy is mainly based upon proving the customers the 'value for money' and
thus maintains the quality of products and services ensuring customer retention. It also uses
competitive pricing policy and most importantly, the price of kids products are low and also of
excellent quality (Lim and et.al., 2021).
Whereas, pricing strategy of Tesco is cost leadership because it can be said that
management is designed to reduce the cost of purchase and operational costs through various set
of other measures to pass the cost advantage to customers as the main brand value. In addition to
this, the company also makes use of club card system which allows its customer to gather
points of its purchases that can be converted to money in the future (Chia and et.al., 2022). This
serves as the best price-promotional strategy of providing loyal and good customers with
additional discounts. This kind of pricing master plan helps in reducing prices further, thus
increasing sales without affecting profits much (Umar, Sasongko, and Aguzman, 2018).
Whereas in reference to another company that is Morrison's, people choose this company
due to its price strategy as the company provides the best quality in low price to its customers
and they also make use of promotional pricing, product bundle pricing and also premium pricing.

Above mentioned company also focus on various factors such as quality, service and ease of
purchase in order to keep the customers satisfied.
Another example is of IHG Hotels and Resorts which uses the pricing strategy as it is one
of the main aspect in the marketing mix (Orquin and Wedel, 2020). And in hotel industry, the
competition is affected by pricing and packaging and these two factors are considered in mind
for the purpose of attracting the guests. The price also depend upon the season that is the peak
season or off season.
AJ Beltis states that (2020), price is the point at which the product is sold and it is crucial part
of the whole process. It can also be said that price is that amount which a customer wants to pay
for the chosen product that is why adjusting the price will affect the overall position of the
product in the market (How to Develop a Successful Marketing Mix Strategy, 2020).
Place
This is referred to as the place where the customers make a purchase that can be a physical store,
any website or any app as per their preferences. Nowadays, companies have both the presence in
the market in order to sell their products direct to the customers. It also means point of sale in
every industry which allows to make it easy for the customers to buy it is the main aim of a good
distribution or 'place' strategy (Ferrell and Ferrell, 2020).
In reference to Sainsbury, the retailers pay a superior amount for the right location. In
fact,the main rule of a successful retail business is location. Also, the company also provides the
home delivery and that can be placed by making use of website, app or phone call.
While, Tecso has its stores widely available in the world and It has two main channels of
distribution for its products and services with online and offline services. Nonetheless, the favour
for online sales channels in contrast to offline sales channels has been constantly increasing for
the last few years. Tesco make use of mainly two channels that is online and offline as it has
many stores in order to reach more customers.
On the other hand, Morrison's place and distribution strategy is the presence in the wide
geographical presence (Booth and et.al.,2021). They also have national centre and various
regional centres too. Along with it, the company has tractors which helps in delivery of the
products.
Another example is of IHG Hotel & Resorts, it is one of the leading hotel all across the
world and this hotel is situated at the specific location which attracts the customers. It has also

adopted the mix channel strategy that is the mixture of both direct channel and third party
channel.
AJ Beltis states that (2020), Place also consists of the various methods by which the products
can be purchased such as phone or online. Under which new distribution options are there for
customers in order to experience the products for example mobile, in store, online and many
others (How to Develop a Successful Marketing Mix Strategy, 2020).
Promotion
Under this the message is circulated to the customers to create the level of awareness, desire and
interest. Under this the various tools can be used for increasing the level of awareness and to
reach out the audiences. It also comprises of all the activities undertaken to make the product or
service known to the user such as word of mouth, press, incentives,
commissions ,awards,contests,prize,consumer schemes, direct marketing and many others (Lim,
W.M., 2021).
Sainsbury's has been involved in different promotional activities like ad campaigns in
radio,newspaper,and leaflets to build its a strong brand name in the market. It also uses sales
promotion with various database marketing and sales promotion with the help of incentives as a
part of its promotional strategy. It has also used ad campaigns in newspapers, radio, television,
billboards and leaflets to create awareness about its company's name in the market. It uses sales
promotion via incentives and database marketing as part of its promotional strategy. Its official
website is its best promotional tool as it uploads product information as well as promotional
activity regularly.
Tesco has a strong brand in the market in the field of advertising and branding. Its main
point is its low prices and the best quality which makes it different from other supermarkets
chains. It has made use of TV advertisements, sponsors charitable events, offers various
discounts, and many more. Above all their main focus is its low prices and it also provides
attractive offers to its customers thus it is very easy for customers to find offers for example “buy
one get one free” or half price, and many others which allows the customer to feel like they
saved so much money. Moreover, online purchases are less expensive than offline ones but it
doesn’t provide choices what they want. That is why, it becomes challenging to invite customers
into buying more stuff if they can’t see their choices.

For example in case of Morrison's, it offers the low price with best quality and various
range of products to its customers and company also target on making reward schemes for the
customers (Abedian and et.al., 2021). The company keeps making new promotions and special
offers for both online and offline operations.
In case of IHG Hotels and Resorts, the hotel make use of customer loyalty program that
present valuable and different services with special benefits. As it is a global brand, they also
have a website which presents the all their services in a detailed manner which also allows the
customers to book the rooms in an easy manner as per choice. The hotel also remains loyal for its
customers by bringing new and attractive offers for its customers.
According to AJ Beltis(2020), Promotion comprises of advertising, promotional strategy
and the ultimate goal of promoting is to explain about products and also to reach the larger
audience. It can also be defined as advertising that helps in reaching the target audience of the
market. The companies make use of various platform such as campaigns of Instagram or email.
It is a kind of marketing communication process that aids the company to advertise the product
and its features to the public. It is the most expensive and primary components of the marketing
mix, that assist to have the attention of the customers of the market and persuade them to buy the
product. Most of the marketers make use of promotion plan of action to boost their product and
reach out to the public or the target audience. The promotion also considers direct marketing,
advertising, personal branding, sales promotion and many others (How to Develop a Successful
Marketing Mix Strategy, 2020).
All the elements of the marketing mix affect each other. They are responsible for
handling the business plan correctly and sort up the business plan for a company that will also
bring great success in the future. It also needs a lot of efforts, coordination,
understanding ,consultation with various people and market research from users to trade to
manufacturing and other operations of the business (Purohit, Paul and Mishra, 2021). It can also
be concluded that a marketing strategy function as the leading link between corporate marketing
planning and situation analysis on the one hand and the development of specific programs on the
other. The companies have to face strong competition in the consumer market and has adopted a
competitive pricing policy to deal with the prices set by its competitor brands. Its range of kids
and basic products are priced relatively low than its competitors. As the groceries and fresh

produce are bought directly from local markets,the company has been able to maintain
reasonable and affordable price rates to attract its consumers.
Role of marketing mix
The factors of marketing mix allows the business to build the market a better place by adopting
the various strategies with the aim of making the best products or providing the services. It also
presents a successful product offering with better planning and developing the marketing
strategies. Due to this the company get the chance to analyse the cost benefit elastic and it also
serves as a main guide for the resource allocation.
Another benefit of marketing mix is that the company can also know about its customers
better as the technology is changing the company can make use of its website and campaigns to
attract more audience. But sometimes, it takes time to operate and the marketing campaign
successful because the return on investment is low. Even well-planned marketing campaigns fail
and also it takes months to get back on track.
Conclusion
It can be concluded that marketing mix is considered to be the main aspect in the marketing
process and it is the theoretical framework is made to analyse the marketing mix of the
companies to compete with the competitive environment of the market. Also,marketing is the
main aspect of the business and it is also responsible in making the business successful. All
business strategy is marketing strategy which allows the ability to think clearly and well about
the very best marketing strategies, and to continually change and upgrade the operations of the
activities that will be the key to the future of business. That is why, like all the other skills ,
marketing can also be improved and learned by making new mistakes, learning new techniques
practice and experimentation. Considering the importance of the marketing mix, the management
of the company must focus on providing the additional services to attract the customers. In order
to build healthy relationship with customers company can also give after sales offers, discount
offers, gifts and many others. Such services will create the brand image and level of equity
among target market.

References
Books and Journals
Purohit, S., Paul, J. and Mishra, R., 2021. Rethinking the bottom of the pyramid: Towards a new
marketing mix. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, p.102275.
Abedian, M., Amindoust, A., Maddahi, R. and Jouzdani, J., 2021. A game theory approach to
selecting marketing-mix strategies. Journal of Advances in Management Research.
Lim, W.M., 2021. A marketing mix typology for integrated care: the 10 Ps. Journal of Strategic
Marketing, 29(5), pp.453-469.
Booth, A., Sutton, A., Clowes, M. and Martyn-St James, M., 2021. Systematic approaches to a
successful literature review.
Ferrell, O.C. and Ferrell, L., 2020. Technology challenges and opportunities facing marketing
education. Marketing Education Review, 30(1), pp.3-14.
Orquin, J.L. and Wedel, M., 2020. Contributions to attention based marketing: Foundations,
insights, and challenges. Journal of Business Research, 111, pp.85-90.
Umar, A., Sasongko, A.H. and Aguzman, G., 2018. Business model canvas as a solution for
competing strategy of small business in Indonesia. International Journal of
Entrepreneurship, 22(1), pp.1-9.
Chia, L., Fuller, C.W., Taylor, D. and Pappas, E., 2022. Mastering the topic, the message, and
the delivery: leveraging the social marketing mix to better implement sports injury prevention
programs. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 52(2), pp.55-59.
Salem, S., 2019. Marketing Mix.
Ooi, S. and Ramlee, A.A., 2021. Marketing Mix in International Marketing: The Strategy of
Gano Excel Industries Sdn Bhd.
Chen, H.J., 2018. What drives consumers’ mobile shopping? 4Ps or shopping preferences?. Asia
Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.
Bunruedi, C. and Priyakorn, P., 2022. Marketing Mix and Brand Equity Affecting Consumers'
Buying Behaviour of Facial Care Product (Doctoral dissertation, National Institute of
Development Administration).
Rahman, M.K.U. and Ayaz, M., 2018. The Impact of Marketing Mix on Customer Buying
Behavior: A Case Study of Footwear Industry. NUML International Journal of Business &
Management, 13(1), pp.107-117.

Giantari, I.G.A.K. and Sukaatmadja, I.P.G., 2021. Effects of environmental orientation, green
marketing mix and social capital on the competitive advantage of real estate developers in
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Lim, X.J., Cheah, J.H., Ng, S.I., Basha, N.K. and Soutar, G., 2021. The effects of
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