Fundamentals of Marketing

There a lot of reasons why a manufacturer employs advertisement as an important strategy. Of course the bottom line of the rationale is sales or profit. However, there are no shortcuts to real gains in business and that is the reason business people engage in research in advertising. By definition, advertising means “the process of communicating concepts through the mass media for the purpose of creating an awareness for a company and the goods and services it handles, and stimulating consumer wants to an extent that such goods will be purchased” (Webster, 1977).

In advertising, the business and industrial world is able to announce its services and products to the people in the community or to consumers through newspapers, magazines, handbills, radio, television, etc. to make people want to buy them. The message, called an “advertisement” is disseminated through one or more media and is paid by virtually all manufacturers and retailers in the country (Strong, 1958). It has become an integral part of modern business. The purpose of advertising is to push the product to the most noticeable position, make the product remembered and liked, and consequently be bought.

It is generally agreed that the aim of the advertiser is to stimulate interest, to create wants, and to provide inquiries (Wright, 1962). In understanding further the strategies that are utilized in order that specific targets are addressed and thus generate also specific and effective sales, marketing specialists have used market segmentation which refers to “the dividing up of a market” or the “division of the market for a product into groups of customers with identifiable needs and characteristics” (Encarta, 2006).

At the same time, product differentiation makes it all the more effective because “making product different: the process of making a product different, or seem different, from other products in its range and from competing products” (Encarta, 2006). The concept of product differentiation ensures that the product ultimately lands in the hands of people who know exactly what they want but will only get to know the product if they are educated about it (Starch, 1966). When I started to do my research on the Nissan Altima Coupe, I decided that I should see first the local dealership and inquire on the basic details of their product.

As I probed on the ins and outs of their kind of job, the dealer actually agreed to give me a short tour around his “babies:” his beautifully polished cars. Of course, looking at the 2008 Altima Coupe made me almost breathless. I am not that a fanatic of cars but any innocent person will really look with envy at the only word that best describes the Coupe; Sophistication. Coupe from Nissan Altima is described as a standout with its “perfectly proportioned styling” boasting a shorter wheelbase, and overall height and length than its previous version the Altima sedan.

Made to attract the younger, and more performance-type consumers, the coupe dealers have to explain every detail of its features to the target clients. On the other hand, advertisers know that the generation today is comprised of a lot of ambitious, active and adventure young people who have the income to support their lifestyles. Which brings us to the matter: the salesman who knows the real facets that are uniquely the “Coupe” must be able to get his message out and that means the car will only be known if advertising gets in. The salesman’s job truly starts when the advertisers had done their job.

Of course the dealer can always go around and advertise at the same time. But local dealerships can only do so much. They know that the bigger bulk of making the public know that the Coupe exists is by way of media advertising or even billboards and all that. Then the buyers or interested clients can then come in and the sales people will do the rest: secure the sale. There is of course a vast difference when manufacturers do both strategies: the market segmentation and the product differentiation aspects of marketing and commerce.

When properly trained sales personnel push their products well to the client or customer this is just one aspect of the concept of market segmentation. One part does this (the sales) and the other does another (the advertising). It has become a very effective strategy for a number of decades already (Raymond, 1967; Wright, 1962). Product differentiation simply addresses the uniqueness of every product that goes out of every assembly line from various parts of the world.

Within the Nissan Company, this car manufacturer produced the Nissan Altima Coupe which is based from the 2007 Nissan Altima sedan – only with more attractive features geared of course to another set of consumers. In the concept of product differentiation, manufacturers like Nissan and others like them, dream and visualize the car for the specific consumers they have in mind. Of course they already spent money and research to explore who their target audiences are and how they will be attracted to their particular product. In order to secure this, the concept of branding came to rise (Webster, 1977).

This is an example of product differentiation. All manufacturers stand and fall, somehow, by the product they produce and its qualities. The brand will now take these aspects further and cement the product into the mind and lifestyle of their clients or consumers. “firms attempt to differentiate their products in order to gain customer loyalty and secure an advantage over their competitors) (Encarta, 2006). Advertisement then is not very simple; it is complex because it brings with the whole idea of the consumer and his/her preferences in buying.

Different tastes for different folks are in essence is being valued here and manufacturers employ the best of science to secure their place in the business; and they all intend to stay there for a long, long time (Stanton, 1964).

Reference:

Starch, Daniel. 1966. Measuring Advertising Readership and Results. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. Stanton, William J. 1964. Fundamentals of Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill Boo Co. Strong, Edward 1958. Psychological aspects of Business. New York: McGraw – Hill Book Co. Raymond, Robert H. 1967. Basic Marketing. Cleveland: The World