August 4, 2022 inWealth, Guides
Contents hide
1 What Are The 4 C's Of Marketing?
2 How Do These 4 C's Work Together?
3 Additional C's Of Marketing
3.1 Collaboration
3.2 Connection
3.3 Context
3.4 Culture
4 4 C's Of Marketing With Examples
5 Considering The Marketing Mix 4 C's In Various Marketing Arenas
5.1 4 C's Of Social Media Marketing
5.2 4 C's Of Sustainability Marketing
5.3 4 C's Of Entertainment Marketing
6 The 4Ps Of Marketing
7 Combining The 4ps And 4cs Of Marketing
8 Marketing And Sales
9 4 C's Of Marketing - FAQ
10 What Are The 4 C's In Marketing?
11 What Are The 4 C's Marketing Used For?
12 How Can The 4c's Be Used When Selling Travel Insurance?
13 Can The 4c's Be Used To Sell Self-Development Products?
14 Conclusion
Depending on which source of information you refer to, you'll find different definitions for the 4C's of marketing. Some sources also state that while the 4 c's marketing model originally only had 4 components, there's now a 5th c added to the mix.
So, who's right?
And more important, what are the 4 c's marketing mix in terms of their importance to your business?
In this article, we'll look at the 4 c's in marketing with examples as well as give you information on how you can use them to get more customers into your business.
Let's get right into it.
What Are The 4 C's Of Marketing?
The 4 c's of marketing are:
- Customer
- Cost
- Communication
- Convenience
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How Do These 4 C's Work Together?
4 c's marketing starts with the customer at the center. All potential strategies must consider who the customer is and what the customer wants and needs. Knowing your customer base is the first step in 4 c's marketing.
After that, you need to establish the costs associated with reaching and servicing those customers. This includes not only monetary costs, but also the time and effort required to reach them. Defining costs as part of the 4 c's marketing model helps you create a budget and track return on investment (ROI).
Communication is the third in the 4 c's marketing mix. This includes how you communicate your product or service to customers and receive feedback from them. It's essential to create a two-way dialogue so that you can learn from your customers and improve your offering.
Finally, the 4 c marketing model speaks about convenience. This is how you reach your customers with marketing messages that make it easy for them to buy. There are many different channels available, including online and offline options. Selecting the right mix of channels is critical to 4 c's marketing success.
Additional C's Of Marketing
As mentioned, traditionally, the above abbreviations were known as the 4 c's of online marketing. That said, as marketing has changed, so too has the 4 c's model. Some marketers now include additional c's in their version of the marketing mix.
Some common additions to the 4 c's marketing model include:
- Collaboration
- Connection
- Context
- Culture
- Convenience
- Cost-effectiveness
Let's look deeper into why these C's have been added and their importance in this day and age.
Collaboration
In today's business world, it's essential to collaborate with others to succeed. Customers expect companies to work together to provide a seamless experience. For example, if you're booking a hotel room online through a third-party website, you hope the hotel and the booking site share information to confirm your reservation.
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Including collaboration in the 4 c's of marketing mix ensures that you're considering how to work with others to provide the best possible experience for your customers.
Connection
To connect with customers, you need to meet them where they are. This means being active on the channels and platforms that they use. It also means creating content that resonates with them and their interests.
Especially when it comes to the 4 c's of digital marketing, it's essential to focus on creating connections with customers through various mediums. A blog is an excellent example of this, as it allows you to use the words and language your target audience will appreciate. This will help you build relationships and turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.
Context
Some argue that context is crucial in the 4 c marketing mix. This is because customers don't just want a product or service, they want an experience - businesses must therefore customize that experience to their individual needs.
To do this, you need to know who your customer is and what they're looking for. Only then can you provide the relevant information and resources that they need to make a purchasing decision.
Culture
Your company's culture will affect how you market your products or services. Culture as part of the 4 c's in marketing mix means understanding the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that make up your organization. It also means considering how your target audience will receive your message.
For example, if you're marketing to a traditional audience, you might want to avoid using edgy or controversial tactics. On the other hand, if you're targeting millennials, you might find that they respond well to marketing that pushes boundaries.
Having the right culture as part of a 4 c's marketing strategy is essential to success and is one of the best tips for wealth that a business can strive for - both in the short and long term.
4 C's Of Marketing With Examples
Let's consider the above 4 c's of marketing with some examples to understand better how they can be applied in practice.
Taking a company that sells eco-friendly cleaning products, here's an example of 4 c's of marketing per the original customer model, cost, communication, and channels.
- Customer – Segmenting everyone who could be a customer means focusing on the target market of environmentally conscious consumers. As such, selling eco-friendly cleaning products only includes those who are health conscious and environmentally minded. Market research and surveys can be conducted to know who the customer is
- Cost – The company needs to calculate the cost of making and marketing eco-friendly cleaning products. This will include the cost of raw materials, packaging, shipping, marketing, and other associated costs.
- Communication – To reach the target market for eco-friendly cleaning products, various communication channels can be used, such as online advertising, PR, social media marketing, and content marketing.
- Convenience – The company must decide which methods to use to reach its target market. Some options could include selling products online, through a brick-and-mortar store, or distributors. Since we're dealing with an eco-friendly product, the approach with the smallest carbon footprint probably makes the most sense.
Using the 4 c's marketing model, a company can more effectively target its marketing efforts and create a more holistic approach to customer engagement.
Considering The Marketing Mix 4 C's In Various Marketing Arenas
In addition to having companies and marketers add their own C's to the original mix, some even create new acronyms for specific marketing sectors.
Let's have a look at some of these and how they apply in today's world.
4 C's Of Social Media Marketing
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Communities, conversations, channels, and campaigns are the four c's of social media marketing. They are applied as follows:
- Communities: The first c is communities, which refers to the groups of people that come together online around a shared interest. There are many online communities, from forums and discussion groups to social networking sites and branded communities.
- Conversations: The second c is conversations, which refers to the way that members of online communities interact with each other. These conversations can occur in several ways, including through comments, posts, messages, and chats.
- Channels: The third c is channels, which refers to the platform or medium through which the conversation takes place. Examples of social media channels include blogs, discussion forums, microblogs, and social networking sites.
- Campaigns: The fourth c is campaigns, which refers to how marketers use social media to achieve their marketing objectives. These campaigns can take many forms, from one-off promotions to long-term engagement strategies
4 C's Of Sustainability Marketing
When it comes to sustainability, the 4C's commonly used are compliance, competitiveness, continuity, and collaboration. Looking into further detail at each of them, we get:
- Compliance: this is where businesses meet the minimum requirements of environmental legislation.
- Competitiveness: companies seek to be more efficient than their competitors in terms of sustainability and resource use. In other words, they want to have a "greener" image than others and have reduced environmental footprints.
- Continuity: this is about ensuring that the company's activities do not adversely affect future generations and the environment. This could involve using renewable resources, investing in green technologies, or adopting a circular business model.
- Collaboration: working with others to find sustainable solutions to common problems. This could involve suppliers, customers, employees, NGOs, or competitors.
4 C's Of Entertainment Marketing
Finally, entertainment marketing can be defined by the following 4 c's: conduit, content, connection, customer:
- Conduit: the method or platform used to reach the target audience (e.g., social media, TV, radio)
- Content: the message that is conveyed through the conduit (e.g., a commercial, an article, a song)
- Connection: the emotional response that the content elicits from the audience (e.g., liking, sharing, commenting)
- Customer: the individual who ultimately consumes the content (e.g., a viewer, a reader, a listener)
As you can see above, no matter the industry, the customer is always at the center of the marketing strategy. To be successful, marketers must understand how to reach their target audience and what type of content will resonate with them.
The 4Ps Of Marketing
While speaking about the 4C's and their various applications, it's essential to differentiate them from the 4Ps of marketing. The 4Ps of marketing is a well-known concept that has been around for decades, and despite this, it's still a relevant and valuable tool for businesses.
The 4Ps of marketing stand for Product, Price, Place, and Promotion:
- Product: This is what your business is selling. It's essential to have a product that meets the needs and wants of your target market.
- Price: The price of your product should be set to maximize profit and meet your target market's expectations.
- Place: Place refers to where your product is available for purchase. You need to ensure that your product is available in locations convenient for your target market.
- Promotion: This is how you will get the word out about your product. It would help if you created a promotional strategy to reach your target market effectively and with the least friction.
The 4Ps of marketing are a helpful framework for thinking about your business, but it's important to remember that it's not the only framework out there. The 4C's of marketing is another popular framework that one can use to think about your business.
Combining The 4ps And 4cs Of Marketing
The 4Ps and 4Cs of marketing are two frameworks that can be used together when thinking about your business. You can use both frameworks to create a comprehensive marketing strategy for your business. Start by thinking about your product and what needs it meets for your target market. Then, set a price that will maximize profit and meet the expectations of your target market. Next, choose a place to sell your product that is convenient for your target market. Finally, create a promotional strategy that will effectively reach your target market.
Using both the 4Ps and 4Cs of marketing, you can create a comprehensive marketing strategy to help you grow your business.
Marketing And Sales
While the 4Cs and 4Ps are both marketing frameworks, consider that marketing and sales are two different yet harmonious aspects. Marketing is all about creating awareness and interest in your product. Sales, on the other hand, is about getting people to vote with their wallets.
It's essential to have a good understanding of both marketing and sales if you want your business to be successful. Marketing is essential for creating interest in your product and generating leads. Sales are important for closing the deal and getting customers to purchase.
If you only focus on one of these things, you'll likely miss out on various opportunities. For example, if you only focus on marketing, you might generate many leads but won't make any sales. Or if you only focus on sales, you might have people waiting to close deals, but there would be no interest in what you're selling.
As such, creating both a marketing plan and a sales plan is key. A sales plan won't work without considering your marketing efforts, and vice versa. Understanding marketing and sales and how they work together is the best way to ensure success.
4 C's Of Marketing - FAQ
What Are The 4 C's In Marketing?
Depending on which source of information you refer to, the 4 c's of marketing stand for customer, cost, communication and convenience.
In terms of customers, the 4 c's are a great way to think about how to appeal to them. After all, your marketing efforts should be focused on providing value and solving problems for your target audience.
The 4 c's also represent a framework you can use to evaluate your marketing mix and ensure that you cover all of your bases.
What Are The 4 C's Marketing Used For?
The 4 c's of marketing help businesses determine what steps they need to take to market their products or services successfully. By considering all four of these factors, companies can create a marketing strategy that will maximize their chances of success.
How Can The 4c's Be Used When Selling Travel Insurance?
The 4 c's of marketing can be used when selling travel insurance in several ways.
First, you need to identify your target customer and their needs. Once you know who you're trying to reach, you can tailor your marketing messages and product offerings to appeal to them.
You also need to consider the cost of your travel insurance product and ensure that it's priced competitively. In addition, you'll need to make sure that your product is convenient for customers to purchase and use.
Finally, you need to make sure that you're effectively communicating the value of your travel insurance product to potential customers. Providing the best tips for traveling to your target audience can help you do this.
By following the 4 c's of marketing, you can be sure that you're taking all the necessary steps to sell travel insurance successfully.
Can The 4c's Be Used To Sell Self-Development Products?
Yes, the 4 c's of marketing can be used to sell self-development products.
First, you need to identify your audience and what type of product would appeal to them. Then, you need to craft a message that will capture their attention and convince them to buy your product.
Another way to use the 4 c's of marketing in this arena is to sell a how-to guide on achieving happiness. You could use the 4 c's for marketing this type of product by creating a message that would convince your target audience that by following the tips in your guide, they will be able to achieve their happiness goals.
The same applies when stuff related to tips for happiness. For example, you could use the 4 c's to sell a happiness journal by crafting a message that would convince your target audience that by using your product, they will be able to achieve their happiness goals.
No matter the industry, the 4 C's can help you get crystal clear on your next action steps.
Conclusion
Marketing is a complex area that requires a great deal of thought and creativity. However, if you understand the basics, such as the 4 c's of marketing, you will be well on your way to creating a successful marketing campaign that allows you to close the right deals and help your target audience.
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About the author
Mike Vestil
Mike Vestil is an author, investor, and speaker known for building a business from zero to $1.5 million in 12 months while traveling the world.
FAQs
What is the importance of the 4Cs in marketing? ›
The 4Cs (consumer, communication, cost, and convenience) help to ensure that your customer experiences are positive and consistent across all channels. The purpose of a marketing mix is to create a plan that addresses the needs and wants of your target market.
Why 4 C's are better than 4Ps? ›The 4 P's focus on a seller-oriented marketing strategy, which can be extremely effective for sales. However, the 4 C's offer a more consumer-based perspective on the marketing strategy.
What are the 4 important aspects of the marketing process? ›The marketing process consists of four elements: strategic marketing analysis, marketing-mix planning, marketing implementation, and marketing control.
What are the four Ps of attracting a customer segment? ›The four Ps of marketing are product, price, place, and promotion. These are the key factors that are involved in marketing a product or service. You take the four Ps into account when creating strategies for marketing, promoting, advertising, and positioning your product or brand.
What are the benefits of 4 C's? ›Executive function skills, such as planning, organizing and strategizing. These skills help children develop self-regulation, working memory and cognitive flexibility which will encourage them to learn new ideas and develop their social-emotional capabilities.
How does 4 principles affect the marketing industry? ›There are four original principles of marketing referred to as 4Ps or 4P marketing Matrix that companies use for their marketing strategy. These four basic marketing principles Product, Price, Place, and Promotion are interconnected and work together; hence, they are also known as Marketing Mix.
What are the 4 Cs of strategy? ›Based on BSR's 20 years of developing such integrated strategies for dozens of companies and in collaboration with a panoply of stakeholders, we have created the "Four Cs" to help companies build integrated strategies by looking at customers, competitors, the corporation, and civil society and government.
What is 4Cs strategy? ›The 4Cs for marketing communications: Clarity; Credibility; Consistency and Competitiveness. What is it? The 4Cs (Clarity, Credibility, Consistency, Competitiveness) is most often used in marketing communications and was created by David Jobber and John Fahy in their book 'Foundations of Marketing' (2009).
How do the four C's work together? ›Critical thinking teaches students to question claims and seek truth. Creativity teaches students to think in a way that's unique to them. Collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and better than you can on your own. Communication teaches students how to efficiently convey ideas.
What are the 4 Ps in marketing which is the most important to you why? ›These are Promotion, Product, Place and Price. These 4 Ps play a major role in delivering the customer needs at the right time and the right place. Philip Kotler says, The most important thing is to predict where clients are going and stop right in front of them.
Which of the 4 P's of marketing do you think is the most important? ›
In fact, pricing is the single most important factor to consider while managing your online marketing product ads on platforms like Google Shopping.
What are 4 ways to attract customers? ›- Offer new customers discounts and promotions. ...
- Ask for referrals. ...
- Recontact old customers. ...
- Network. ...
- Update your website. ...
- Partner with complementary businesses. ...
- Promote your expertise. ...
- Take advantage of online ratings and review sites.
- Research your target audience.
- Study the competition.
- Collaborate with local business owners.
- Create a digital marketing plan.
- Utilize email marketing.
- Take advantage of social media marketing.
- Don't forget text message marketing.
- Identify your customers. ...
- Divide customers into groups. ...
- Create customer personas. ...
- Articulate customer needs. ...
- Connect products and services to customers' needs. ...
- Evaluate and prioritize top segments. ...
- Develop specific marketing strategies. ...
- Evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies.
That's why cut is the most important of the 4Cs—if a diamond is poorly cut, no clarity grating, color grading, or carat weight will make up for it. The diamond will look dull and glassy. When a diamond is cut to the proper proportions and symmetry, it will return light out of its top.
What are the 4 Cs of customer service? ›To set yourself apart, you need to incorporate the 4C's, which stand for customer experience, conversation, content, and collaboration. Look at them as pillars that hold your client service together. Working on these components in unison and actively managing them will transform your business.
What is the purpose of the 4Cs framework? ›The 4C Framework is composed of four elements: Customer, Competition, Cost, and Capabilities. The structure is useful to get a better understanding of the client and important during your case interview.
Are the 4 Ps of marketing still relevant? ›Traditional Strategies and understandings…
The 4P's of Marketing have been part of a fundamental process in getting the right product in front of a specific group of people so they can decide to buy. Although this is still used in Marketing today, even in the digital age.
The 4Ps of product, price, place, and promotion refer to the products your company is offering and how to get them into the hands of the consumer. The 4Cs refer to stakeholders, costs, communication, and distribution channels which are all different aspects of how your company functions.
What are the four pillars of marketing mix? ›The 4Ps of Marketing, often referred to as the Marketing Mix, are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Consideration of these four elements should form the basis of any good marketing strategy.
What are the 4cs in advertising? ›
We call them the Four Cs, which are the company, the category, the consumer and culture. Within each of those, there are different amounts of research that you may need to do, depending on what you already have available and what new questions you need to answer.
What is the purpose of the 4cs framework? ›The 4C Framework is composed of four elements: Customer, Competition, Cost, and Capabilities. The structure is useful to get a better understanding of the client and important during your case interview.
What is the importance of marketing mix? ›Importance of Marketing Mix
Helps understand what your product or service can offer to your customers. Helps plan a successful product offering. Helps with planning, developing and executing effective marketing strategies. Helps businesses make use of their strengths and avoid unnecessary costs.
The marketing concept rests on four pillars: target market, customer needs, integrated marketing and profitability.
What are the 4cs and how do we use it? ›Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity are considered the four c's and are all skills that are needed in order to succeed in today's world.
Which of the 4Cs is most important? ›That's why cut is the most important of the 4Cs—if a diamond is poorly cut, no clarity grating, color grading, or carat weight will make up for it. The diamond will look dull and glassy. When a diamond is cut to the proper proportions and symmetry, it will return light out of its top.
What are the 4Cs of customer service? ›To set yourself apart, you need to incorporate the 4C's, which stand for customer experience, conversation, content, and collaboration. Look at them as pillars that hold your client service together. Working on these components in unison and actively managing them will transform your business.
What are the 4Cs model of effective communication? ›They give us the four C's of effective communication: clarity, coherence, control and credibility. If you want the reader to follow your thought, you need to do three things: Tell the reader where you're going, present your information or explain your thinking and offer your conclusion.
Which marketing mix is the most important? ›What is the most important part of a marketing mix? Pricing is the most important element of your marketing mix. The price you set for a product or service will significantly influence your potential customers' choice to purchase it.
How do you create an effective marketing mix? ›- Goals and Objectives. ...
- Establish Your Budget. ...
- Determine Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) ...
- Who is Your Target Market? ...
- Ask Your Customers Advice. ...
- Define Your Product in Detail. ...
- Know Your Distribution Channels. ...
- Create a Pricing Strategy.
What is a marketing mix strategy? ›
The marketing mix in marketing strategy: Product, price, place and promotion. The marketing mix is the set of controllable, tactical marketing tools that a company uses to produce a desired response from its target market. It consists of everything that a company can do to influence demand for its product.
What are the four 4 key marketing principles strategies? ›The 4 basic marketing principles are product, price, place and promotion.
What are the 4 P's of marketing and explain briefly their role in marketing? ›The 4Ps of marketing is a model for enhancing the components of your "marketing mix" – the way in which you take a new product or service to market. It helps you to define your marketing options in terms of price, product, promotion, and place so that your offering meets a specific customer need or demand.
What are the 4 P's in marketing which is the most important to you why? ›These are Promotion, Product, Place and Price. These 4 Ps play a major role in delivering the customer needs at the right time and the right place. Philip Kotler says, The most important thing is to predict where clients are going and stop right in front of them.