Marketing is an integral aspect of any business, and it plays a crucial role in shaping the success of an organization. Hence, it is imperative to introduce marketing processes to K-12 students to help them understand and appreciate marketing’s significance and role in the business world.
Marketing can be taught by focusing on five key elements of the marketing process. These include identifying target customers, creating a unique selling proposition, determining pricing, communicating the product to the target market, and finally, delivering the product or service.
To start with, educators can explain the process of identifying target customers. This involves understanding who the customers are – their age, gender, location, income levels, preferences, and needs. Once this is done, educators can teach students how businesses come up with a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that sets them apart from their competitors to attract customers.
After establishing a USP, the next task for a business is to determine pricing strategies that align with its market positioning and USP. Educators can introduce students to concepts such as Cost-plus, Value-based, and Penetration pricing. Students can learn about tactics like offering discounts, coupons, and bundling to adjust pricing to sell more products effectively.
The next aspect educators can focus on is communicating the product or service to the target market. Communication can be in the form of advertising, sales promotion, public relations, or personal selling. Educators can show students how companies use these communication channels to inform, persuade, and influence prospective customers to purchase their products or services.
Finally, educators can explain product delivery, which includes physical distribution of the product and after-sale services. Businesses must ensure timely delivery and provide excellent customer service to retain customers and develop customer loyalty.
In conclusion, teaching marketing processes to K-12 students can enable them to develop a greater understanding of how businesses operate in the contemporary world. The marketers of tomorrow can gain valuable insights into how to meet and exceed customers’ expectations by developing a Unique Selling Proposition, creating communication strategies, determining pricing, and delivering high-quality products and services. A proficient understanding of these concepts can help students develop marketing skills and make informed decisions about their career paths in the business world.
