Brands and the mix

The first brand that comes to my mind that is highly effective in bringing all of the elements of the marketing mix together is Bose. When I was in high school, I remember being drawn into Bose experience. I was not the typical Bose customer, however - most were older consumers with disposable income. The tangible product was a sound system that filled the room with vibrant sound, but not stereo equipment and speakers.

Bose distributes their products through Bose stores with staff that are knowledgeable of the product and the company also provides service to their products. Bose products are also sold through approved vendors at a price that is controlled by the manufacturer (I learned about this the hard way when I could never buy the Bose product I wanted on any sales). Since Bose controls the price and the place, the brand can establish a better sense of value in the consumer’s mind. I knew when I was shopping for Bose, that since the price was the same everywhere, I could focus on their product and the benefits instead of where to go to find the best deal. I also knew I was getting a valuable product. The store also allows consumers to come in an experience the products before they buy, which is a key to selling many products. It also gives an opportunity for trained staff to educate the consumer on benefits and why Bose products are better than the competition.

Another interesting twist on the place portion of the marketing mix is auto manufacturers that equip cars interiors with Bose sound systems. This is directly related to price and demographics because these systems are usually only offered in expensive luxury vehicles.

Another smaller product that was created to appeal to consumers of slightly less disposable income of those who buy the complete systems is the wave radio. It was designed to be a one piece product, small self contained radio that would perform like a large stereo system.

Bose later entered into a new market by producing headphones. These products were tailored towards younger consumers. The price point is appealing to those who don’t want to invest in a premium Bose speaker system, but is substantially more expensive than average consumer-grade headphones.

Bose communicates the message of the benefit of real life, premium sound that fills the room. Bose messaging also conveys status and quality.

I will add on to a topic from my previous blog entry including iPods and Apple. The Apple brand is innovative and always one step ahead of the competition, a true pioneer. Apple Macintosh computers have been a huge player in commercial and personal computer technology and the iPod became a household name and a “must have” for many consumers of all ages, and iPhone set the bar for cellular phones and smartphones. Steve Jobs introduced the iPad that most consumers didn’t even realize they wanted/needed until it existed. These are all tangible products the company offers, which lead to the experience benefits. One thing Apple is known for is controlling the entire experience for their customers. This starts with sleek, stylish, modern hardware that continues with software including iTunes for iPods and apps for mobile devices This allows Apple to not only grasp market share, but control every aspect of the product. 

Apple products have many specific targets such as active people for iPods and very specific customer targets for iPads. One unique example of a niche group for iPads that is growing is physicians using the tablet devices for electronic health records. Specific targets and apps allow Apple to tailor their products to these various target markets with different needs.

Price and place are controlled through Apple stores and “approved re-sellers” which are select stores that are allowed to carry Apple products. Apple stores provide complete customer service with “geniuses” and consistent pricing similar to Bose.

It is safe to say that Apple has brand recognition - when people see the logo, they have a vision of a product and experience in their mind already. Steve Jobs was a pop star of invention that personally introduced his company’s products during unveiling events that created media frenzies. Apple has a lot of loyal customers who continue to buy many products so this communications approach is a good way to reach target markets.