TEXT 1: MARKETING STRATEGIES NOWADAYS

Originally marketing was meant to help to avoid overproduction. Now marketing is considered to be a system of all business activities of a company in respect of coordinating supply and demand for the goods produced.

Before producing and selling the goods, it is necessary to do a lot of market research. Useful information for this purpose can be obtained from embassies, consulates and foreign trade representatives, from trade magazines or from specialized consultant agencies, which will do a professional market research job for a certain fee.

The information needed is whether there is any demand for your goods, what is the market potential, what sort of competition is to be met (that is what price of the goods, including those produced locally, is considered to be competitive), what domestic preferences, local trading customs and seasonal factors should be taken into account.

Actually, marketing covers not only market research, but also planning the assortment of goods, price policy, advertising and promotion of sales, controlling the sales and post-sales servicing. So nowadays general marketing strategy includes such essential elements as planning, market research, new product development, sales, communications and advertising.

Planning. While speaking of marketing planning, one should think first of all of the so-called controllable and uncontrollable factors. The controllable factors are the following: product, price, place and promotion; the uncontrollable ones – environmental factors. Both these types are very important when one starts analyzing the market situation.

Research. Market research is concerned first of all with product choice study and the study of competitors interests and their claims. The most popular methods of conducting marketing research are observation, survey, experiment and public opinion polls through different channels.

Production. Attitudinal research should affect the product to be produced, so production is inevitably based on marketing intelligence study. Marketing investigates stages before, during and after production and also the stage following sales.

Sales Sales are always involved with customers’ service of all kinds. Markets for consumer products are segmented on the basis of demographic and psychographic data research.

Communications and advertising. The communications mix comprises advertising, public relations, direct mail and special events such as product shows, conferences and exhibitions. Advertising is an important means of promoting the goods that have been produced already, as well as new lines in business. Nowadays there are special departments and agencies dealing with advertising. Different kinds of mass media – TV, radio, newspapers, cinema, magazines, posters – are used for advertising aims. Special leaflets, booklets and other printed matter with the information about goods may be published for the same purpose. The choice of media for advertising depends oh the kind of goods and on the local conditions and people’s habits.