Marketing Mix (Mkt 421)

Marketing Mix

MKT 421

September 17, 2012

Robert McGeary

Marketing Mix

Successful organizations understand how important it is to have a marketing strategy in place. Marketing strategies identify which target group the organization is going to appeal to and how they will satisfy this group. Organizations are able to satisfy their customers by offering the product or service customer’s desire. Companies need to have the product or service available when and where their target consumers need it, while charging a price that consumers expect to pay. The organization needs to promote these products or services to make their target group aware of the products and services that the organization is offering. These different ways to satisfy the target group is known as the marketing mix. A marketing mix is “the controllable variables the company puts together to satisfy this target group” (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy p. 33). Starbuck’s Coffee is an excellent example of a company who has been successful in coming up with the right marketing mix to satisfy their target consumers.

Starbuck’s Coffee

Starbuck’s Coffee is a worldwide corporation with more than 17,000 stores in 60 countries (Starbucks, 2012). Starbucks has positioned itself to be a highly recognizable brand all over the world. Their main competition includes: McDonald’s, Panera Bread, and Dunkin Donuts (Seaford, Culp, & Brooks, p. 46). Starbucks is able to differentiate themselves from their competition as more than just a place to buy coffee. The company strives to make Starbuck’s stores a place where people hang out in its upscale inviting atmosphere. Starbucks has encouraged their customers to stay a while by having comfortable furniture, relaxing music, free wireless Internet, larger tables for group study or meetings, and more extensive food offerings. According to Starbuck’s website, customers flock to their stores, ”because they know they can count on genuine service, an inviting...