What Are 7Cs of Marketing and How Do They Relate in this Digital Era?

There was a time when marketing teams promoting services used to focus on the 7 pillars of marketing – Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, and Physical Evidence. But with the advent of the digital element of marketing, things have changed.

Even Philip Kotler, in his recent book Marketing 4.0, explained how the 4Ps of marketing are now relevant as the 4Cs of marketing, where every pillar is considered from the consumer’s point of view. As per him:

Product becomes Consumer Needs and Wants
Price becomes Cost to the Consumer
Place becomes Convenience for the Consumer
Promotion becomes Communication to the Consumer

Whereas for the other Cs, the following is a common notion:

People and Physical Evidence combined become the Credibility
Process becomes Customer Service
And, the last we have is the Competition

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What are the 7 Cs of Marketing?

When it comes to marketing, the 7Cs of marketing provide a comprehensive framework in which to grow and improve your business. This framework provides a structured approach to help you identify, understand, and implement effective marketing strategies in your business.

With the 7Cs of marketing, you can achieve objectives that are aligned with your goals, reach new heights, and create a competitive advantage. By applying these principles to your business, you’ll be able to build a strong foundation upon which to grow and maximize your profits.
This blog will help you better understand the 7Cs of marketing and how to apply them to your marketing or business strategies.

So without further ado, let’s get started with the first C of modern marketing.

1. Consumer Needs and Wants

The first C on the list of the 7Cs of marketing is consumer needs and wants. This is all about understanding your audience. The first step is to conduct market research to explore your audience and uncover their needs, wants, and expectations. You can also explore your competition to learn more about their customers.

Customer research plays an important role in the success of your business. With the help of marketing research, you can find out how your customers currently feel about your product or service, what they like or dislike, and what they’re looking for in the future.

This information can give you valuable insights into how to improve your product or service and how to reach your customers best.

Once you have a better understanding of your audience’s needs and wants, you can create marketing content that addresses them.

2. Cost

The cost of ownership or availing of the service is a major factor that influences a customer’s purchase decision.

Customers invest their hard-earned money to purchase or use any product or service, so it is essential for businesses to keep their costs reasonable to attract customers and stay competitive.

High prices can be a deterrent (not always), as customers will prefer similar yet more affordable products from competitors. Therefore, businesses should ensure that their prices are within the market rate and competitive.

Additionally, by offering discounts and promotional deals, companies can make products and services more attractive to customers. This technique can also help enhance customer loyalty in the long run.

A real-world example of the above claim could be seen in the retail industry. Many retail chains, such as Walmart and Target, use competitive pricing strategies to attract customers.

By offering goods at an affordable rate while still making a profit, they are able to remain competitive while maintaining loyal customers. Additionally, these companies also provide discounts and promotional offers through loyalty programs which encourage customers to purchase from them regularly.

3. Convenience

The third C on the list of the 7Cs of marketing refers to convenience. This is all about how convenient your marketing efforts are for your customers. The goal here is to make your product as convenient as possible for your customers.

You can do this by making it easy for customer to find, purchase, access, pay for, and return your products or services.

If your customers can’t find your products or services, or if they’re too difficult to purchase, your customers won’t buy from you. Neither if your customers can’t access your products or services when they need them because they aren’t easily accessible, they won’t buy from you.

If your customers have a difficult time paying for your products or services, they won’t buy from you. And if your customers have a difficult time returning or exchanging your products or services, they won’t buy from you either.

4. Communication

The fourth C on the list of the 7Cs of marketing refers to communication. This is all about how well you communicate your marketing message to your customers. The goal here is to communicate your marketing message in a way that is effective and resonates with your customers.

You can do this by exploring the various marketing channels available to you and choosing those that are most effective for your business. You can also look at the marketing messages used by your competitors and see how you can improve upon those messages.

If you aren’t communicating your marketing message effectively, your customers won’t understand what you’re offering and why it’s beneficial to them. And when they don’t understand what you’re offering and why it’s beneficial to them, they won’t buy from you.

The best approach to avoid such risks is to invest in content marketing. You can get a team of content writers and marketing specialists to communicate your product attributes and benefits in the form of blog posts or other types of content.

For instance, if you’re a tech startup, you have to spread awareness about your product. Hiring technical content writers is the best approach to getting the most out of your marketing communication efforts.

5. Customer Service

The fifth C on the list of the 7Cs of marketing refers to customer service. This is all about the level of customer service offered by your company.

The goal here is to provide an excellent level of customer service that makes customers want to purchase your products or services again. You can do this by hiring customer service representatives who are knowledgeable about your products or services, friendly, and helpful.

You can also look at the way your competitors deliver customer service and see how you can improve upon their efforts. If you provide a low level of customer service, your customers won’t want to buy from you again.

6. Credibility

The sixth C on the list of the 7Cs of marketing refers to credibility. This is all about how trustworthy your business/brand is.

The goal here is to be as trustworthy as possible so that your customers trust you and your products or services. You can do this by being transparent and honest in your marketing efforts. You can also provide excellent customer service, giving your customers a positive experience with your business.

7. Competition

The seventh C on the list of the 7Cs of marketing refers to competition. This is all about how your marketing efforts stack up against your competitors’ marketing efforts.

The goal here is to have a marketing approach that is better than your competitors’ marketing efforts so that you can attract more customers. You can do this by looking at your competitors’ marketing efforts and seeing how you can improve upon them.

How to Apply the 7Cs of Marketing to Your Business

Now that you understand what the 7Cs of marketing are, it’s time to put this knowledge to work. The first thing you should do is assess your current marketing efforts and determine if they are effective. If not, you can use the 7Cs of marketing to help you identify areas of improvement.