The effectiveness of marketing mix elements

The marketing environment in Zimbabwe has changed in a series of dramatic and far reaching ways. Most significant of these changes has been the emergence of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The idea was born in 2002 after the realization that SMEs play a significant role in fostering economic growth. This has led to the proliferation of retailers. In practice, many retailing planners have responded by focusing to an ever greater degree upon short-term and tactical issues, arguing that, the marketing mix elements are of little value. In this book the author questions such assumptions and focuses upon the ways in which the retailing can be managed effectively and strategically. Hence this work postulates the four marketing mix elements (product, price, promotion and place) as arguments that determine effective performance of retailers. The thrust is on managers to consider and employ the four Ps effectively and efficiently in all their marketing endeavors. On the other hand, sales personnel should collaborate with management to improve their pricing strategies, distribution, promotion tools and product assortment. This would enable them to experience high sales and profit.