Extended Marketing Mix Strategy and Its Benefits

Most of those reading this article are likely familiar with a marketing mix. It’s an integral part of any campaign and helps marketers determine the best allocation of a marketing budget. An extended marketing mix introduces three elements to increase the effectiveness of your overall strategy. 

What Is an Extended Marketing Mix?

An extended marketing mix adds three more elements to the original. People, processes, and physical services make room for services marketing and round out a complete marketing mix method. 

The original marketing mix includes:

• Product
• Place
• Price
• Promotion

The extended marketing mix introduces these three elements to the mix:

• People
• Processes
• Physical Evidence

The main idea behind an expanded marketing mix can be likened to a sandwich. All you need for a sandwich are its main components – bread and spread.

An expanded marketing mix adds more ingredients to your marketing sandwich to create something significantly better than the original.

Why Is It Important?

An expanded marketing mix is crucial because it is a measure that helps companies adjust to the changing times. The modern marketing landscape is different from decades ago. There are new factors to consider, and modern customers now have different outlooks and priorities.

The expanded marketing mix accommodates market changes by adding more aspects to create a more thorough marketing strategy relevant to modern standards.

An expanded marketing mix also allows businesses to market their services. 

The Extended Marketing Mix

The following are the new additions to the standard marketing mix.

1. People

It refers to the people behind the company. Regardless of the role, the people working on the business and its products are as important as customers. 

For example:

A local restaurant in my area cooks some of the best ramens in town. But, what keeps me coming back are the staff who greet me by my name and who know the usual food I order.

This extended marketing element recognizes the value of employees and their ability to provide a unique customer experience in their little way.

2. Processes

It refers to the way you meet customer expectations. A standard operating procedure serves as a guarantee of service quality by setting business standards to follow.

For example:

I am citing the restaurant I mentioned earlier. The cooks likely follow a ramen recipe to ensure that customer experience is always on par with customer expectations.

Business processes ensure that even when the food is prepared by different people, customers can expect the same level of quality. 

3. Physical Evidence

It refers to the physical elements that help round up the customer experience. These physical elements set the business apart from its competitors by adding to the customer experience. Physical evidence can come from promotional materials, decorations, and hobby-centered objects.

For example:

A local barber shop displays hipster decorations as a way to change the ambiance of the place. The place attracts clients born in the 90s because of the toys and designs that pay homage to the 90s.

Physical evidence is used to provide an authentic customer experience. It often relates closely with your overall business theme and marketing. 

The Bottom Line

All these elements add another dimension to the elements of a marketing mix. Primarily, these additions help businesses determine the right mix to help them sell their services. If you’re running a business that mainly provides services, these are the elements you shouldn’t overlook.