ABSTRACT
Although this book is designed to take the media specialist through the planning and buying of media, those functions do not occur in a vacuum. Both media and advertising are part of the bigger picture of the world of marketing. The primary goal of marketing is to increase sales and profits. To return to our earlier example, where we were wondering how to market our fruit-based carbonated drink, Fruitola , we must consider many elements beyond which media to use. To market any product effectively involves not simply advertising it, but also fi guring out how much to charge for it, where to distribute it, and how to manufacture it. In marketing jargon, these four critical elements are known as the Four Ps : Product, Price, Place (distribution), and Promotion. Although your job as a media specialist does not necessarily involve making the decisions on all of these criteria, it is critical that you have a clear understanding of how they work and, more importantly, how they can impact your media decisions and strategy. This chapter will guide you through these four marketing basics.
