Marketing concept is the philosophy that requires firms to first carry out a rigorous assessment of the needs of their customers then make gainful decisions, based on these analysis, to satisfy those needs better than competitors. The 4P’s of marketing are the essential components that constitute an efficient and effective marketing plan. They include product, place, promotion, and price. The product is the item being offered to the consumer and the place refers to the ideal location that a firm has selected to meet with its customers for the exchange. The promotion refers to all efforts being made by the firm to increase awareness of the product and sometimes the price and place. Lastly, the price refers to a suitable cost levied on the product that is both ideal for the customer and the firm. The Coca-Cola Company effectively uses the marketing concept and the 4P’s of marketing to achieve its vision and mission statements.
Selling refers to the interpersonal interactions; the one-on-one networking, meetings, and telephone calls that are made between a seller and prospective buyers until a sale is done. Marketing, on the other hand, incorporates several programs that firms use to reach and persuade potential customers such as advertising, direct mail, public relations, and aftersales services. Sales and marketing are both mutually inclusive with marketing preceding sales. A successful company will incorporated the two to realize maximum profits. Sales is dependent on marketing to provide a pool of prospective buyers while marketing is dependent on sales to land a contract or make a sale to either all the prospective buyers or some of them according to the terms and results of negotiations.
Marketing does have a critical function in church operations. The basic function of marketing is creating awareness of the existence of a good or service to potential customers. Churches offer services to their congregations that mainly includes teachings about the Bible and lessons concerning Jesus Christ and Christian living. According to the Bible, these teachings and knowledge are meant for everyone as Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 and Paul elaborated in 1 Timothy 2:3-4. Churches have a mandate to tell all those who don’t know the message about God and teach them how to cultivate a good Christian life and a healthy relationship with God.
The time frame from the 1950s to the current millennium has produced three types of generational groups that vary in behaviour, values, and attitudes. These generational cohorts are the baby boomers, the generation X, and generation Y. The baby boomers are the generational cohort immediately following World War II, born between the years 1946 and 1964. Generation X are the generation that were born from 1965 to 1976 (Fallon, 2014). They are in their 40s and 50s currently. Lastly, the Generation Y are the individuals born between the 1980s and early 1990s. These are the children of children born during the baby boom. They are adept with technology more than the other generational cohorts.
A market plan intended for a particular generation cohort will be customized to suit the generation’s values and behaviors. A product intended for Generation Y, for instance, will have to include heavy aspects of technology and celebrities for acceptance (Nahai, 2013). Generation X, however, are cynical and prefer ideas that offer solutions, given they were born around the Cold War and Great Depression. They are equally very cynical. Products meant for this group should be a solution product. Baby boomers are more driven by the thought of making a difference. A product aimed at achieving this end is more likely to appeal to this generational cohort.
Pepsi have a trend of outsourcing the services of Britney Spears for their advertisements especially during the Super Bowl Commercials. These adverts are mostly intended for the Generation Y cohorts, who are attached to their celebrity icons and will follow everything these celebrities do or say. The Scripture from Hebrews 13:8 brings a notion of time changing but Jesus remaining unchanged. Jesus can be considered he product that does not change with time though the market may change and the consumers may evolve. The products demanded by these different generational cohorts are the same with few enhancements. However, the changing generations insinuate a changing market. While changing the product may not be the issue, changing the means used to reach out to the different generations may prove to be a profitable idea.
References
Fallon, N. (2014, June 15). Marketing to Millennials: How to Capture Gen Y Consumers. Retrieved November 03, 2017, from http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6602-selling-to-generation-y.html
Nahai, N. (2013, May 13). 5 Things You Need To Know About Marketing To Gen Y. Retrieved November 03, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/webs-influence/201305/5-things-you-need-know-about-marketing-gen-y