Learn about the 4 Cs of Marketing, when they were created and how you can manage them in your strategy to get more resul

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Marketing is a discipline in constant development. As such, it is susceptible to change: paradigms evolve and perspectives take different directions.

One of these paradigms can be seen in the 4 Cs of marketing method, developed by Robert Lauterborn in the 1990s as an evolution of McCarthy's 4 Ps strategy .

The most outstanding feature of the 4 Cs of marketing is the fact that business owner database they consider the consumer .

That is, if before the 4 Ps focused a lot on the product and little on the customer, the 4 Cs of marketing emerged to reverse this process.

So, discover in this post what the 4 Cs of marketing are and how you can use this method to improve your marketing strategy .

Marketing of the 4 Ps
Before learning about the 4 Cs of marketing, it is important to define the 4 Ps of marketing strategy . This theory was developed by Jerome McCarthy and widely disseminated by professor and book author Philip Kotler .

The 4 Ps refer to the 4 pillars that support a company's marketing strategy:

Product : Refers to a series of aspects related to the study and development of a product or service.
Price : Covers all operational price choices in relation to strategic objectives.
Place : Refers to the choice of distribution channels indicated in marketing strategies .
Promotion : Includes promotional activities , including advertising, sponsored ads, direct marketing, merchandising, etc.
The 4 Cs of Marketing Concept
Focusing on a customer-oriented strategy , in 1993 Robert Lauterborn proposed the new concept of the 4 Cs of marketing to integrate it with the traditional method of the 4 Ps.

The difference lies precisely in the approach to the consumer. In the 4 Ps of marketing model, the central focus is always the product. Whereas, in the 4 Cs of marketing model, the focus is on the consumer .

From this perspective, the marketing plan is therefore conceived differently: focusing the planning on the customer.

To understand it better, let's find out what the 4 Cs of marketing are.

1. Client
The first C of this method refers to the needs and desires of consumers . The C for customer replaces the P for product of the old method. Thus, instead of focusing on the product itself, the C for customer focuses on filling some void in the consumer's life .

This marketing strategy is important for businesses that are interested in getting to know their customers better. Once you understand your consumer, it will be easier to create a product that will bring them benefits.

Thus, the customer is the one who makes the purchasing decision , without being forced to do so, becoming the most valuable resource in any marketing strategy.

In other words, investing in customer experience is the best way to boost sales and increase a company's profits. It's the modern win-win concept, as the consumer has ceased to be a passive recipient and has become the business's main asset.

2. Cost
The second C of the 4 Cs of marketing is cost. Don't confuse the cost of your product with the price, price is only a small segment of the overall cost of purchasing a product for a consumer.

It's important to determine the overall cost—not the price—of your product to the customer. Cost includes not only the price of the item, but can also include factors such as the time it takes the customer to get to the store where they buy the product.

In this way, the cost can also include the benefits of the product to the consumer or the lack of these .


3. Convenience
The third C is convenience, which we can compare to the P for location in the 4 Ps strategy. However, we must emphasize that they are very different elements.

Place simply refers to the location where the product is sold. Convenience, on the other hand, is a much more customer-oriented approach to this marketing strategy.

After analyzing customer habits, you should be able to tell whether they shop online or in physical stores, as well as what they are willing to do to buy your product.

The overall cost of the product will, in part, determine its suitability for the target audience. The goal is to make access to the product sufficiently simple and with a good cost benefit so that the customer can purchase it without difficulty.

4. Communication
The fourth and final C is communication , which comes to replace the concept of promotion in the previous strategy, despite being quite different. Communication is the key to marketing for any business today. Without it, the 4 Cs of marketing would not be effective.

Product promotion is used to influence or persuade consumers to buy a product. Therefore, promotion can often be manipulative and ineffective.

However, communication is, again, a customer-oriented approach to accomplishing the task of selling products. Communication requires interaction between the buyer and the seller. A marketing strategy that can easily be carried out on social media , for example.

Marketing a product on your social media or including links in your profiles can be very beneficial to customers. This allows them to interact with your company on a more personal level and, eventually, induce brand loyalty .

The 4 Cs of marketing can be very beneficial for any marketing strategy. After all, this strategy forces marketers to truly understand their audience, even before developing a product.

It is clear that the 4 Cs of marketing require communication throughout the entire process, from start to finish, and it begins with understanding the consumer's desires in relation to the product.

When using the 4 Cs of marketing, it is important to always think of the consumer first and maintain effective communication with them throughout the process.