Strategic Marketing Management and Product Mix
Module 1: Product Mix Strategy
Product Concept and Levels
Product Definition: A product is anything offered to the market to satisfy a customer’s need or want. It can be a physical good, service, idea, place, or person.
Examples:
- Phone
- Netflix subscription
- Haircut
- Insurance
Three Levels of Product
- Core Product: The basic benefit the customer buys. Example: Buying a car provides transportation.
- Actual Product: The physical product with features. This includes:
- Brand
- Design
- Quality
- Packaging
- Features
Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation: Key Concepts
Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Social innovation is the process of developing new ideas, products, services, or business models that solve social, economic, or environmental problems while improving the quality of life.
Examples of Social Innovation
- Digital banking for rural communities
- Low-cost healthcare services
- Renewable energy projects
How Entrepreneurship Creates Social Value
- Employment Generation: Creates jobs and reduces unemployment.
- Poverty Reduction: Provides income opportunities and
Business Project Management and Financial Analysis
Project Feasibility and Implementation
Key Feasibility Checks
2. Technical Feasibility Checks:
- Machinery
- Technology
- Skilled workers
- Raw materials
3. Financial Feasibility Checks:
- Investment
- Profit
- Cash flow
- ROI
4. Social Feasibility: Checks whether the project benefits society. Examples:
- Employment
- Environment
- Community welfare
Project Implementation Stages
- Idea generation
- Feasibility study
- Project report
- Finance arrangement
- Registration
- Purchase machinery
- Production
- Marketing
Financial Analysis and Funding
Financing the
Read MoreIndian Securities Regulation and Market Efficiency
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulatory body for the securities market in India. It is responsible for regulating and supervising the market to ensure its proper functioning. SEBI issues various guidelines periodically to ensure that the market operates in a fair and transparent manner.
Key SEBI Guidelines
- Insider Trading: SEBI has issued guidelines to prevent insider trading. This refers to the practice of buying or selling
Key Characteristics of Service and Non-Profit Organizations
Characteristics of Service Organizations
- Absence of inventory buffer: Services cannot be stored. If not used at a specific point in time, they are extinguished. Service companies must aim to minimize unused capacity, as many costs remain fixed in the short run.
- Difficulty in controlling quality: Quantifying service quality is difficult and often subjective, even after the service is rendered.
- Labour intensive: While technology has reduced reliance on manual effort, the service sector remains more labour-
Optimizing Operational Agility and International Cash Management
Strengthening Operational Agility: Strategic Partnerships
Companies are re-evaluating their ownership of non-core assets as part of portfolio optimization and divestiture strategies, shifting toward an ecosystem of strategic partners. These partners, often better suited to manage such assets, help transition from fixed to variable expenses, enhance agility, focus resources on critical capabilities, and improve shareholder returns. Notably, the pandemic has strained balance sheets, leading to cash
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