Kotler’s Stages of Implementation and Control

Developing a Marketing Mix Strategy

This article follows on from the previous articles:

After completing the segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) process, the next logical step in the marketing journey is developing a marketing mix strategy, followed by Kotler’s additional stages of implementation and control. If you’ve been following along with our previous articles, this is where your hard work pays off… strategy becomes action, and action becomes measurable results.

But, as we delve into Kotler’s framework (with a nod to Gilligan and Wilson’s more streamlined 8-stage process), it’s worth noting that this is where the marketing process becomes dynamic. The emphasis shifts from planning to execution and continuous improvement, a stage where marketers can’t just sit back; they need to stay engaged.

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Stage 8: Developing the Marketing Mix Strategy

This stage is where marketers get hands-on. With all the insights from your STP process, you now need to decide which marketing activities will be used to deliver on your objectives. And yes, this is where the dreaded 7 Ps of the marketing mix come into play:

  1. Product: What are you offering? How does it meet the needs of your target segments?
  2. Price: What is your pricing strategy, and how does it align with your positioning?
  3. Place: Where and how will you make your product available?
  4. Promotion: What communication tools (advertising, PR, social media) will you use?
  5. People: Who are the people delivering your brand experience?
  6. Process: How will the service or product be delivered consistently?
  7. Physical Evidence: What tangible elements reinforce your brand (e.g., packaging, retail design)?

The Evolution of the 7 Ps

While the 7 Ps might feel a bit overdone in academic marketing circles, their longevity speaks volumes. Even in today’s world of digital-first strategies and data-driven campaigns, these principles remain relevant. Think of them not as rigid boxes to tick, but as a flexible framework that ensures you’re covering all the bases.

For example, consider Amazon:

  • Product: Convenience through an unparalleled product range.
  • Place: Seamless e-commerce experience.
  • Promotion: Data-driven ads tailored to user behaviour.
  • Process: Lightning-fast delivery.

Each P is carefully orchestrated to reinforce Amazon’s position as the go-to platform for convenience and speed.

“Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart.” – Joe Chernov

Stage 9: Implementation – Turning Strategy Into Action

Gilligan and Wilson stop at Stage 8, but Kotler, ever the overachiever, adds implementation as Stage 9. And he’s right to do so because without implementation, strategy is just a dream on paper.

What Does Implementation Involve?

In Kotler’s words, this is about:

“producing the designated product, pricing it, distributing it, and promoting it.”

But more than that, it’s about mobilising the entire organisation, not just the marketing department.

Key aspects of implementation include:

  1. Cross-Departmental Collaboration: From product design to logistics, every team plays a role. Marketing isn’t operating in isolation anymore.
  2. Resource Allocation: Ensuring you have the budget, tools, and people in place to execute the plan.
  3. Timeline Management: Creating a roadmap with clear deadlines and deliverables.

The Hidden Heroes of Implementation

Here’s something we don’t often acknowledge, great implementation relies on great project management. It’s not the glamorous side of marketing, but without clear communication, accountability, and follow-through, even the best-laid plans can crumble.

Take Apple’s product launches. Their marketing mix strategy is impeccable, but the execution—coordinating the rollout across supply chains, retail stores, and global markets—is a masterclass in implementation.

Stage 10: Control – Measuring and Optimising Performance

Kotler’s final stage, control, is where the marketing process becomes iterative. It’s about continuously evaluating your efforts, learning from your successes and failures, and refining your strategy.

Control in Action

Key components of control include:

  • Feedback Collection: Gathering insights from customers, sales teams, and the market.
  • Performance Metrics: Tracking KPIs like ROI, customer retention, and brand awareness.
  • Continuous Improvement: Using data to tweak your STP strategy and marketing mix.

Why Control Matters

In Kotler’s words:

“Successful companies are learning companies. They collect feedback from the marketplace, audit and evaluate results, and make corrections designed to improve their performance.”

This stage underscores the importance of agility in marketing. It’s not enough to execute a campaign and move on; you need to measure its impact, understand what worked (and what didn’t), and apply those lessons moving forward.

Tangent: The Rise of Real-Time Control

In today’s digital world, control doesn’t just happen at the end of a campaign. Tools like Google Analytics, social media dashboards, and CRM systems allow marketers to monitor performance in real time. This means you can make adjustments on the fly, ensuring your efforts stay aligned with your objectives.

For instance, if an ad isn’t performing well, you can tweak the copy or adjust the targeting without waiting for the campaign to end.

Why the Marketing Management Process is a Continuous Loop

While Kotler’s model ends with control, the truth is that the marketing process is never truly finished. Each campaign generates new insights that feed into your next segmentation, targeting, and positioning efforts. It’s a continuous cycle of learning, adapting, and improving.

Final Thought: From Planning to Perfection

Developing a marketing mix strategy, implementing it, and applying control might sound straightforward on paper, but in practice, it’s where the magic (and hard work) happens. It’s a dynamic, collaborative process that requires creativity, organisation, and a commitment to constant improvement.

As I often say on the Marketing Made Clear podcast: Marketing is both a science and an art. The STP process gives you the scientific framework, but it’s in implementation and control where the artistry comes alive.