Fundamentals of Marketing

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The best way I feel I could best explain and offer help to you is to give you an example of something I would write if this were my assignment. As an instructor I know what I want to see in a paper but turn the question around to you. What if you were given a "paper" "document" (through e-mail) ask yourself these questions:

How well this paper is organized? This is huge with me as well as many of my colleagues; i.e. Is it reader friendly, readability?
Is the information jumping around or does it flow?

Does the material that the "student" (you) provided cover the main facts that was asked for?
Did the student expand on any other ideas? Going above and beyond; 110%
Was it just the basics?
Was any new information provided?
Were there any for instances, or examples?

Did it keep my attention?
Was it interesting? Dull? Simplified? Too lavish?

Was the page amount requested fulfilled? (usually can go 1 page less or more from the guidelines - unless the instructor has specifically said # amount of pages?
APA format? Or any other format requested by the instructor?
Did they site their work properly? At all? Did the references take approximately 10% of the paper? (10% is the typical amount a well experienced student knows to include within his/her paper from past experiences)
Typos? No excuses on this one - BIG point taker if I see one?
Grammar? No excuse; this is college now - no warnings.

Is this something this student would write from what I know about him/her?
Is the work too basic? (for that person)
Is the work too detailed? (for that person)
Is it apparent that this student plagiarized?

What else would you ask? What else has your instructor asked (requested)?

Keep these in mind when you are formulating your own response into your answer for your assignment. If you would like to site any of this response please do so - only - please do it properly, please follow the format below if you chose to do so.

[BrainMass Online TA Name], Online TA [OTA ID#], Posting Code [Posting Code], http://BrainMass.com (hyperlinked if submitted electronically), [Month], [Year].
Cherie J. Hetland M.Ed, Online TA# 105280, Posting Code #####, http://BrainMass.com, February 2007.

There are a number of aspects encompassed by the field of Marketing. Each of these aspects are elements in the performance of Marketing a product. The concept of Marketing is made up of four "P's;" they are Product, Price, Promotions, and Placement. These elements of products and services or ideas are used to create exchanges that satisfy an individual and or organizational goal. Promotion is the main "communication to the market that informs, persuades, and reminds potential buyers of a product in order to influence an opinion or elicit a response." Advertising is a key element to the promotion strategy. The advertising appeal is why consumer wants to buy a product or service.

Developing and evaluating advertising appeals is a complex assignment. This is usually the responsibility of the creative people in the advertising agency. The most widely used appeals are Profit, Health, Love and Romance, Fear, Admiration, Convenience, Fun and Pleasure, Vanity and Egotism, and Environmental Consciousness. When looking at a product or service the consumers look at certain aspects that appeal to them which, helps aid them in their decision on that product/service. The Profit appeal "lets consumers know whether the product will save them money. Make them money, or keep them from losing money." The Fear appeal "can center on social embarrassment, growing old, or losing one's health; because of power, requires advertising to exercise care in execution." Another advertising appeal that is commonly looked at is

Environmental Consciousness, which focuses on protecting the environment and being considerate of others in the community.

When choosing the best appeal for your product/service it generally requires market research in order to place your product/service in its correct target market. "The appeal first must make a positive impression on and be desirable to the target market. It must also be exclusive or unique; consumers must be able to distinguish the advertiser's message from the competitor's message." When making your impression on the target market it is enormously important to make sure the appeal is believable and is not embellished. If the appeal is over thought it not only wastes promotional dollars but also creates ill will for the advertiser.

The advertising appeal for the product/service must be desirable, exclusive, and believable advertising, which is also known as the Unique Selling Proposition. The Unique Selling Proposition commonly turns into the promotional slogan. As a business you want your slogan to be a household theme or symbol that everyone will recognize. "Effective slogans often become so ingrained that consumers can immediately conjure up images of that product just by hearing the slogan." If you have accomplished that your firm has been extremely successful in advertising. Some successful slogans that can easily recognize are: "Have it you way," "Tastes great, less filling," "Ring around the collar," and "Tum te Tum Tum." Most advertisers often revitalize "old slogans or jingles in hope that the nostalgia will create good feelings with consumers," states Lamb, Hair and McDaniel. This is a bona fide strategy when dealing with consumers. It not only creates a longing from the previous consumers, but also implants the old slogan into new potential consumers.

A model that contours the process for attaining promotional goals in terms of stages of the consumer involvement with the message is known as the AIDA concept, (attention, interest, desire, and action.) Attention is the first step; this is when the advertiser must first gain the attention of the target market. "A firm cannot sell something if the market does not know that the good or service exist." In order to attract this attention you can place ads on TV and in consumer magazines. Next is interest, the simply awareness of a brand seldom leads to a sale. The firm's assignment is to generate attraction. The firm must make the consumer interested in the ...