4 Ps of marketing: How to build the right marketing mix

Product, price, place, and promotion. According to the marketing mix theory, these 4 Ps are the building blocks of any successful marketing campaign. While no strategy is a guaranteed path to skyrocketing sales, covering the four Ps in your marketing campaigns can significantly increase your likelihood of success.

The 4 Ps of marketing works for any industry, and can be applied to any business, from solopreneurs to enterprise organizations. In our guide, we'll cover what the 4 Ps of marketing are, then break down exactly how to incorporate them in your next marketing campaign.

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What are the 4 Ps of marketing?

The 4 Ps of marketing—product, price, place, and promotion—are the key elements of any marketing strategy. They shape how you bring a new product to market and how you reach your target customers.

The concept began with Neil Borden, who introduced the idea of a “marketing mix” in the 1950s. E. Jerome McCarthy later refined it into the 4 p marketing strategy we use today, in his book Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach.

• Product: What you’re selling

• Price: How much you’re charging

• Place: Where you're selling

• Promotion: How you promote it

Use the 4 Ps in marketing to shape your messaging, select the right distribution channels, set the right price, and connect with your target market through tactics like social media marketing, public relations, and email marketing. These four ps of marketing work together to meet customer needs and build successful marketing campaigns.

How do the 4 Ps of marketing work?

Knowing what the 4 Ps of marketing are isn't very helpful unless you also know how to apply them to your marketing strategy. Below, we'll break down each element of the marketing mix to help you better understand what they are, how to incorporate them, and why they matter to your marketing efforts.

1. Product: Define your product offering

In the 4 ps of marketing mix, product refers to whatever you're selling—whether it's a physical product or a service. Every marketing strategy begins with a clear view of your product offering and how it fits the needs of your target customers.

Take a car ad, for example. Just listing the price and looks won’t land. A stronger approach would highlight unique safety features that speak directly to parents of small children. That’s how effective marketing connects a new product to a specific target audience.

• What problem is your product solving? Focus on real challenges your target customers face.

• Who is your target customer? Identify who sees the most perceived value in what you’re offering.

• How does your product address your customer’s needs? Link specific features to specific demands.

• What makes your product different from competitors? Show how your product offering delivers better results, speed, or price.

Step into your target customer’s shoes. The better you understand how your product creates value, the more successful your marketing will be.

2. Price: Build a pricing strategy

The second P in the 4ps marketing mix stands for price—how much you charge to cover production costs and drive profit. Start your pricing strategy by analyzing competitor pricing to understand what target customers pay for similar product offerings.

Next, consider the perceived value of your product. Is it positioned as a high-end, premium choice—like Apple’s iPhone—or a budget-friendly option? Your product’s price should reflect this and support your profit margins.

Think beyond a single number. Explore flexible pricing models such as bundles, tiered options, and limited-time sales promotions to increase appeal across different demographics and improve conversion.

• What are competitors charging? Use market research to benchmark price points.

• How much will your target audience pay? Match pricing with expectations.

• Can you offer multiple pricing models? Consider subscriptions, upgrades, or bundles.

• What are your production costs? Understand your margins to stay profitable.

If your price aligns with product value and customer needs, your marketing efforts will resonate and convert.

3. Place: Choose distribution channels

The third P in the marketing 4ps stands for place—where your product is sold and where your potential customers discover it. That includes both brick-and-mortar stores and online platforms, plus the marketing channels you use to reach people.

If you run a physical store, you’re not likely to draw customers from miles away. Instead, think local SEO, print ads, and partnerships with community events can help. Selling through e-commerce? Then focus on digital marketing and platform targeting.

Different channels reach different demographics. If you’re promoting a high-quality product to Gen Z, placing ads on Facebook won’t cut it. Choose platforms and formats that match their online behavior.

• Where do customers buy similar products? Identify the right marketing channels, such as in-store, e-commerce, or events.

• Where is your customer located? Local targeting shapes your marketing strategy.

• Are you B2B or B2C? That choice affects your distribution channels.

• Where are competitors selling? Follow their lead across online platforms and brick-and-mortar stores.

Using the right mix of places to meet your customers—online or off—makes your content marketing and promotions more effective.

4. Promotion: Plan your promotional strategy

The final element in the 4 p marketing mix is promotion—how you communicate your offer to your target audience. If product is what you're selling, and price and place cover value and delivery, then promotion is how you make potential customers care.

Start your promotional strategy by clarifying your marketing objectives. Do you want to drive awareness, increase sales, or highlight differentiation from competitors? Lock in your brand voice and use it consistently across all marketing communications.

Next, tailor your message for each channel. A long caption may flop on Instagram, but thrive in a blog post built for SEO. If your marketing plan spans LinkedIn and TikTok, format and tone should shift, even if the message stays the same.

Track key KPIs to measure performance, and align each campaign with where your audience is in the product life cycle from launch to loyalty.

• Who is your target audience? Choose a voice that resonates with them.

• How should your brand be perceived? Align tone with product and industry.

• What distribution channels does your audience trust? Promote where they actually pay attention.

• How are competitors promoting? Learn from their wins—and mistakes.

• Can you use seasonality? Adjust campaigns to fit changing consumer behavior.

The right mix of content marketing, social media, email marketing, and more will turn your promotion from noise into results.

Other marketing mixes beyond the 4 Ps

The 4 ps of marketing—product, price, place, and promotion—form the foundation of the classic marketing mix. But as marketing strategy has evolved, some marketers have introduced expanded models to better reflect how businesses operate today.

While the 4 ps of marketing still apply across industries, they don’t always address factors like customer experience, service delivery, or the increasing role of trust in online marketing. That’s where alternative marketing mixes come in.

The 7 Ps of marketing

The seven ps of marketing build on the original four by adding three more elements: people, physical evidence, and process.

• People are the employees and teams who interact with customers. Their service and communication shape satisfaction and trust.

• Physical evidence is proof that your claims are real, like reviews, testimonials, or in-store visuals.

• Process refers to how the product is delivered and supported. Smooth transactions and fast support strengthen word-of-mouth.

Together, these seven elements offer a more complete marketing mix, especially for service-based businesses or brands focused on differentiation and customer loyalty.

Variations on the marketing mix

Beyond the 7 Ps, some frameworks propose even more ways to structure your marketing plan:

• The 5 Ps of marketing include the original four, plus people. This marketing mix brings a stronger focus on customer interaction and experience.

• The 5 Cs of marketing—customer, company, competition, collaborators, and climate—shift focus to the external forces shaping a marketing strategy, including partnerships and market conditions.

• Variations like the 6 Ps, 8 Ps, and others continue to emerge as businesses adapt to new online platforms, e-commerce trends, and evolving customer expectations.

Whether you're sticking with the 4 p marketing mix or experimenting with newer models, the goal remains the same: build a flexible, effective marketing strategy that meets your target customers’ needs at every stage of the product life cycle.

Turn the 4 Ps into action with Asana

Every great marketing strategy starts with the right foundation. The 4 ps of marketing give you the structure—Asana gives you the tools to put it into motion.

From organizing your product offering to aligning your promotional strategy, Asana helps marketing teams manage deadlines, collaborate across departments, and track performance—all in one place. Get clear on your marketing objectives and stay on top of every task.

Start planning your next campaign with Asana.