Commercial Applications
What is direct selling? Discuss its latest method.
Marketing Mix
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Answer
Direct Selling — Direct selling means the producer directly sells goods to ultimate consumers without any middleman or intermediary. The manufacturer has direct contact with customers and full control over distribution. Direct selling has become popular due to increasing costs of distribution, scattered markets, cut-throat competition, the desire to maintain control over distribution, and modern means of communication.
Latest method — Online Marketing or Internet Marketing
Online Marketing (also called Internet Marketing) is the latest method of direct selling. It uses the internet as a medium to reach customers directly without any intermediary.
Features of Online Marketing:
- Convenience — Customers can order products 24 hours a day, wherever they are. They need not visit the store or face salespersons.
- Access to information — Customers can access information on the Internet about competing brands, prices, features, and reviews to make informed decisions.
- Cost-effective for sellers — This method is less expensive for the seller as it eliminates the need for physical stores and middlemen.
- Flexibility — Sellers can quickly add products, change prices and update descriptions in real time.
- Customer relationship — It helps sellers build relationships with customers through personalised offers, emails, and interactive feedback.
Examples include Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, where producers sell directly to customers through their online platforms or company websites. Online marketing has revolutionised direct selling by making products globally accessible and improving customer experience.
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CASE STUDY
Innovation and brand consultant, Anisha Motwani, believes that free trials or sampling as a strategy is mostly prevalent and successful in categories that have deep seated habits and have high frequency of consumption. Brand switching in this category require attitude and behavior changes and free sampling influences customers to try new brands and thus increasing the probability of purchase. Such categories could include newspapers, food products, etc. Free trials can also be found in case of expensive offerings where consumers prefer sampling before making a final commitment……
Success of Reliance Jio in the intensely competitive Indian telecom market brings forth the strength of trial marketing strategy, even in the service industry. Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd offered free sampling of Jio's voice calling, text messaging, and data services, and acquired stupendous 100 million subscribers, of which it continued to retain 72 million even after the free trial period ended.
Conventional wisdom suggests that brand that indulge in trials and discounts erode brand Value. Here's the reality though. People value brands. But people also seek value for money ……
Source:
https://www.ascdegreecollege.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Marketing-Management-Indian-Cases.pdfWith reference to the case study answer the following question:
Identify and explain suitable element of marketing mix that has been discussed here.
Identify the highlighted 'C' stage of the Product Life Cycle given in the image below and specify its any four features.
