8Ps of the Service Marketing Mix | Ideal Discussion Before Writing Air Cargo Marketing Plan

 

Marketing in any industry is a highly complex process, this fact is also true of air cargo marketing. Marketing specialists should be aware and in full understanding of the marketing environmental factors to both anticipate and cope with any threat in the marketplace and to avail of any opportunities that may exist.

Introduction to Air Cargo Marketing

Air cargo marketing, involve the provision of the right air cargo service [ that meets customers' needs], at the right price, at the right place and at the right time, and doing so at a profit. There are many marketing definitions but I choose the simple one for you to understand the basic marketing goal.

Before writing an air cargo marketing plan, the marketing specialists should review and discuss many marketing factors called the 8Ps of service marketing mix which is our subject. This article is the first article about the field of my university degree subject [ Marketing and Production Management]. I hope that you find this article informative.

What is the Marketing Mix?

The marketing mix is generally a pre-plan discussion or a set of actions that an air cargo company uses to promote itself in the market. Usually, the 8Ps of service marketing mix includes eight marketing factors [ Product, Price, Place, Positioning, Promotion, people, Process, and Physical Evidence].

Now, I will start with the first P of the service marketing mix:

1- Product

Product is anything that can be provided for market attention, acquisition, use, or consumption. Furthermore, it can satisfy customers' needs and wants. Clearly, in the air cargo business the product is a service that will solve the shipping challenge and freight forwarding needs of customers. 

What to do?

If you are a marketing specialist, you are going to focus on the attributes of your air cargo company compared to the attributes offered by a competing company. You will study Service quality factors as an example:

[ pick-up and delivery on time, flight schedules multiple-choice, branding of service, and customer services].Then, you can improve your service quality.

2- Price

Price is a total value that customers exchange for the benefits of using air cargo services. It impacts the buyer's satisfaction level.

 

What to do?

Your marketing plan should include different short-term selling strategies to increase sales. You may use the best short-term selling strategies [ such as special sale, credit terms, and refunds].

3- Place

The place is the point of selling and support services. To ease understanding this, air cargo service that you sell should be inconvenience to the customers (easy access). You need to provide your customers with multiple sells points such as

- Internet booking

-  Office locations

-  International shipping networks

-  Warehousing

Usually, in air cargo services, the marketing mix place includes the places that you ship to. And  this is a very important thing that customer is looking for.

4- Promotion

Promotion is a "communication" process that air cargo companies communicate their value to the customers. Promoting your service, that will lead to service(brand) recognitions and further establishes an air cargo company's position in the marketplace.

 

To promote air cargo services, you are going to use many promotion activities such as:

• Sales communication
• Advertising
• Personal selling
• Public relations etc.

How you promote your air cargo services and where is very important. Technology, the internet, social media marketing, and digital channel will inform your customers how " up to date" you are in     your management style, promotional style, and your speed of doing business.

5- Positioning

Positioning refers to how you have or intended to position your company in the marketplace.  You will answer the question " How your brand is positioned in the customer's mind?".

Think of this, if your marketing is working, then the customers would identify with the same position statement your company projects.

If no marketing, then you may be considered "too expensive" or "un-caring" or "a low-cost entity".

6- People

People are an important part of providing services. The fact is, to achieve your marketing goals, highly trained personnel must be in place throughout the company to manage every stage of a shipment movement. 

A highly qualified team can become the "product" the air cargo company will market to its customers. Without highly trained personnel the money spent on marketing would be wasted.

7- Process

The process as a setting a customer focus, with successful service planning and implementation. When the processes are tested, upgraded, and proven, then this too, can become a marketing point of difference. 

Without systems and proven processes in place, your well trained, capable team will not be able to deliver a good quality service.

I recommend using IATA TACT Online and TACT Net Rates which help you preparing a perfect air cargo marketing plan that make you customer happy. It is an operational dashboard where you can find Air Cargo Rules, Tariff and Rates, more than 100 Airlines Flight Schedules , and more.

8- Physical Evidence

Physical evidence means the appearance of the service, it is the environment of service. It includes the uniform of staff; the air cargo company has a high level of awards and office appliances. But these are not more important physical evidence like answering the question of " is the shipment arrived on time or not?". 

In my point of view, these 8Ps of service marketing mix not enough if we apply it to air cargo services.

Why?

Because air cargo security is the main operation factor to continuously shipping air cargo around the world. If any security breach happened, it will affect the flow of air cargo and this will affect customer satisfaction. The ninth marketing factor of air cargo is " Protection ". I will let this for further study by marketing researchers   

 Also, the 8Ps of service marketing, you need to generate information that will test each of the 8Ps and support your marketing plan. To do that, you need to use the 5Ws marketing grid which used to discuss and question each "P" using the 5Ws :

•      How
•      What
-
•      When
•      Why
•      Where

Air cargo marketing is about making decisions about the type and level of service that the company should offer to the customer. The first step is making decisions regarding the 8Ps of service marketing which I already mentioned. Please write your comments.