PROBLEMS IN MARKETING OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN COIMBATORE

*A.Prabhu

MEANING OF MARKETING

The term ‘Marketing’ can be defined analytically or operationally. The analytic way of
explaining the term is to show how marketing differs from various other activities of a firm. The
operational definition is that when people in an organization discuss and associate with activities
relating to what to produce, for whom; when; where; how and for how much, they are engaged in
the process of marketing.

Marketing is a complex of activities to be performed by business firms. It is a link that

connects a business firm with those who desire its products or services. It is primarily concerned
with markets. It is expected to make mutually satisfactory exchanges with those who comprise
the markets.

DEFINITION OF MARKETING

The term marketing is defined as “Marketing is the process of planning and executing the
conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges
that satisfy individual and organizational objectives”.

According to Philip Kotler, “Marketing is specially concerned with how transactions are
created, stimulated, facilitated and valued”.

PROBLEMS IN MARKETING

In underdeveloped economies marketing plays the role of a “multiplier” and acts as an

effective engine of development. In the words of Peter Drucker “Without marketing there can be
no democratic economic development. Without marketing as the hinges on which to turn,
economic development will have to take the totalitarian form”. One of the drawbacks found in
developing and underdeveloped countries is that they still are in production or selling-oriented
concept. India offers an example in this respect.

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 There are ten key elements to Problem based Marketing. These elements are essential to
understand, because they are the building blocks for the marketing plan. In this session, we will
review the ten elements to make sure they are clear and then perform an assessment on your
current status as a problem based marketer. This assessment will help you prioritize your action
plan.

These are the ten Ps of problem based marketing. They are Purpose, Problems, Positioning,
Process, Products, Packaging, Promotion, Persuasion, Pricing and Performance.

1.PURPOSE

The first P is for Purpose. Without purpose, you are lost. Your purpose establishes your
vision for what you plan to build. It embodies the values you hold most dear. It provides focus
and clarity through good times and bad. Take the time to define your purpose. It will make your
efforts feel much more worthwhile. Establishing your vision and values for your business will
give you a set of goals to measure everything you do.

2.PROBLEM

The Problem is what you solve. Its magnitude defines the value you can create. It is the
hinge point for all of what comes next, becoming overriding focus of all the other marketing P’s.

3.POSITIONING

Positioning helps you frame the problem statement and how you fit in. Positioning is the
way in which you describe who you work with and what problem you help them with. It defines
your core marketing message, your uniqueness, and the benefits your solution provides.

4.PROCESS

Process is next. Your Process defines how you will market. It gives you the model for
moving from having an idea about making someone a customer, through the concrete steps that
you will take them through in order to turn them into a customer.

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5.PRODUCTS

Products are your solutions. Note that I say solutions, not solution. You need to break
down your offering into discrete products. You need products that don’t need your involvement
beyond their development, you need a 1 hour product, you need an introductory product that is
not too hard to buy, and you need are range of offerings provide complete solutions.

6.PACKAGING

Packaging turns your message into an attractive story that others can hear and understand.
If you’ve done the first five P’s well then this is much easier. If you’re having a hard time with
packing it’s likely that you haven’t got the first five P’s nailed down right.

7.PROMOTION

Promotion is all about spreading the story. If you have a good story people will want to
listen, if you don’t have an interesting story then it will take much more time, money and effort
to become known.

8.PERSUASION

Persuasion is the new form of selling. It is about persuading someone that they can buy
your product safely. That you product is the one that fits best. It will be easy if you are genuine
and darn near impossible if your not.

9.PRICING

Pricing is about taking the risk out of purchase for the customer and making sure that you
get paid for the value you deliver. That may seem like a difficult thing to accomplish, but if your
solution really works then it should not be a problem, just give your customer a guarantee they
can’t refuse coupled with upside for performance.

10.PERFORMANCE
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 Performance is where you get to prove your stuff, and provides the foundation of
credibility for everything you say, write and do. If you perform, problem based marketing will
prove to be an invaluable tool. If you fail to perform then know amount of marketing is going to
solve that problem.

The full Problem Based Marketing solution encompasses what I think of as the 10 Ps of
successful Problem Based Marketing.

1. Purpose – why you do what you do

2. Problems – who is struggling to solve what
3. Positioning – how you say what you do
4. Process – the marketing process of generating leads and turning them into customers
5. Product – solving your customer’s problems
6. Packaging – make it easy for people to understand what you say
7. Promotion – make people aware of what you do
8. Persuasion – get prospective customers to see the possibilities
9. Pricing – get them to value your solutions
10. Performance – prove your value

Some other marketing problems are transportation of goods, low literacy level, low per
capita income and poor standard of living, backwardness of rural masses, variations in languages
and dialects, seasonality of demand, inability of small retailer to carry stock without adequate
credit facility, basic understanding of the consumers, limited knowledge, communication, media
and its cost, sale of fakes and spurious products, banking and credit problems and inadequate
infrastructure facilities.

CONCLUSION

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 To reveals the problem and increase the sales by marketers know to establish themselves,
developing customer needs, proposing their product as solution and handling the customer’s
objections. This study reveals that marketing is the nerves system of the business, without
marketing strategies any business tactics cannot exists in the market place. The marketing should
be an important boost for the every manufacturing product and services.