Marketing Tactics
Marketing tactics of the business need to be developed according to the overall strategic positioning of the brand. This point can be effectively explained with the use of 4P’s of marketing, also known as marketing mix that stand for product, price, promotion, and place. In other words, the use of marketing tactics in general and individual elements of marketing mix in particular should correspond to the strategic positioning of the company.
Conversely, in occasions where there is no link between strategic positioning and marketing tactics within an organisation the substantial proportion of financial resources committed to the implementation of the marketing tactics is going to be wasted.
In case of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), for example there is a clear link between strategic positioning of the brand and marketing tactics utilised in a way that the latter supports the former. To put it simply, the manner in which product, price, promotion, and place marketing mix elements are dealt with by GSK is fully in line with strategic positioning of the brand.
Specifically, GSK strategic positioning relates to achieving market leadership in terms of size and product range, and accordingly, marketing tactics selected by GSK such as emphasizing R&D scope of the company are closely linked to this positioning.
The merits of relationship marketing for GSK marketing strategy are immense. Effective utilisation of relationship marketing allows GSK to increase the levels of customer attraction and retention, possibility of charging customers for intangible aspects of customer relationships, and the possibility of obtaining valuable feedback from customers.