Marketing mix: the four Ps of product strategy

Marketing Mix for a Tablet PC

The introduction of the Tablet PC in its many forms, from the minibook and netbook to the iPad, all share a common series of marketing mix attributes which are analyzed in this paper. The four Ps of marketing are discussed with emphasis on the strategies marketers rely on to increase market acceptance and sales.

Price Strategy

Differentiation is increasingly becoming difficult for marketers to attain with the many form factors and types of Tablet PCs. Pricing is one of the most powerful differentiators in that it can communicate value and unique position in the market, especially for Tablet and laptop PCs (Ozok, Benson, Chakraborty, Norcio, 2008). The pricing strategy that would be of the most value would concentrate on communicating the unique, high value of the Tablet PC being introduced, while also ensuring enough profits are generated as well. The pricing strategy for the proposed Tablet PC in this scenario would also charge a premium for being connected to the Internet all the time through 3G wireless connections. Apple has employed this same strategy with the highest-end of their iPad product line for example (Ozok, Benson, Chakraborty, Norcio, 2008).

Product Strategy

Tablet PCs are most known for their usability and the superior customer experience they deliver to users across the spectrum of served markets, from academic, home, small business to enterprise-wide deployments (Anderson, Schwager, Kerns, 2006). The product strategy most successful for Tablet PCs concentrates on ease-of-use through superior user design, standardization on a common and widely supported operating system, durability of case and components, and ease of customization to customers' specific needs. All of these factors contribute to product superiority by delivering increasingly more value and flexibility to users. Pfizer for example specifically designs their Tablet PCs to support click stream analytics, which provides useful insights not known within their business before (Krion, Shockley, 2011).

Place or Distribution Strategy

For the Tablet PC to be a success, it needs to gain acceptance through the best possible distribution channels that can generate profitability and customer loyalty. The selection of a multichannel strategy is critically important to the success of any Tablet PC, as it broadens the market reach of a new product and ensures every addressable segment is reached (Anderson, Schwager, Kerns, 2006). Choosing to sell the Tablet PC online, through specialty retailers who concentrate on PCs including BestBuy, and also creating enterprise-wide purchasing programs will all contribute to more profitable sales levels over the long-term. The chosen launch strategy for the Tablet PC is one of selling through multiple channels, supporting all with a concerted pricing, promotion and product strategy that attracts as many potential customers as well.