8th P of Marketing: Personal Interest - Written by Bharath

All we learned in the basics of Marketing is the 4Ps as the mix of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. As far as a Service is concerned we add three more Ps: People, Physical evidence and Process. What if all these factors are similar to two same kind of Products / Services but of different Brands. We choose one from these two. So what induces a buyer to choose a particular Brand? What gives the chosen Brand an edge over the left out?

It’s the 8th P of Marketing: Personal Interest. Sometimes this 8^th P plays a predominant role than any other P. This 8^th P can be caused by anything.

Consider this case for a better understanding. I chose a particular service outlet because it is near to my girl friend’s home. This 8^th P of marketing may be confused with Promotion.

Try this to get a clear picture: I chose a brand because I hate my boss and my boss hates that Brand. Isn’t my personal interest made me to chose that Brand? How to create this Personal Interest? We have to opt for Personalized Advertisement. But Advertisement is meant to be a mass communication tool.

Is personalized advertisement possible? Yes… it is. Catch the below link. Its a clipping from Steven Spielberg's Minority Report. Its a story happening in Washington D.C. in the year 2054. The clipping shows a sample of Personalized Advertisement. http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=0ucwrnJBD6c&feature=related

So… May be…. In 2054 or before, Personal Interest can be considered as the 8^th P of Marketing. Agree with me?

Marketing is an art; I'm an artist

Anyone can do marketing. That is what my two years work experience has taught me. I’ve seen lot of successful marketers especially sales persons without any professional learning in the respective area.

Doesn't marketing needs proper education like other management functions? Well... If you ask me... the answer is a big "NO". But you need a great passion in it. Of course the two years of learning definitely helped me in my work. Thanks to my lecturers, professors and the great Kotler. But I would have shined in my work without my MBA degree and only with my passion.

But to survive and to maintain the top spot, updating continuously is necessary without any doubts.

So.... undoubtedly... Marketing is an art... I'm an artist...

Enough practice is always needed to master the art.

But I would suggest... Proper education + Great Passion in the art makes a good artist.