Forget the 4P’s and Welcome the 4E’s of Marketing
By Andy Marsh
The marketing world is changing. While most of us grew up with the 4P’s of marketing - product, price, place, and promotion - they are now old news, and it is the era of the 4E’s - experience, exchange, everyplace and evangelism¬ - of marketing.
Previously, the environment was different as marketers were sovereign, product differences lasted long, and the audiences were large, and an extensive media campaign was enough to get to them. However, the current market has fragmented audiences, product differences last a few seconds, and the customers are in control.
If the market were as it was before, the 4P’s would be reigning supreme. However, it has changed, and marketers have to embrace the 4E’s.
上个世纪60年代,美国营销学教授麦卡锡提出了著名的4P营销组合策略, 即产品（Product）、价格（Price）、场所/渠道(Place）和促销（Promotion），对市场营销理论和实践产生了深刻的影响，被营销经理们奉为营销理论中的经典。
近十几年来，中国电子商务高速发展，电商因帮助消费者突破空间限制实现随时随地下单而备受青睐，于此同时，群雄割据的局面也让烧钱成为争夺流量的必经商道，如何让成本效益最优化，购物体验最大化，成为新的命题。随着大数据、云计算、智能硬件等互联网技术迅猛发展，以加速线上、线下融合为目标的“新零售”时代大幕正在开启。
移动互联网时代的到来，对于营销而言不仅是渠道和开支的增加，更应该是营销思维的转变。4Ps营销理论已经不再适合当下的市场了。因而4Es营销理论随之衍生出现。4E是指体验（Experience）、无所不在(Everyplace)、交换(Exchange)、宣传(Evangelism)。
No.1 Product to Experience
Traditional marketing advises us to focus on product features. It recommends finding one consumer benefit and promoting it repeatedly to the target audience.
This tactic would have worked in the past as product differences lasted for years. However, you will be lucky to get a product difference advantage of more than six months. Product differences only last for a few weeks in the financial sector and a matter of minutes in e-commerce.
In a world, where it is increasingly difficult to differentiate your product, we recommend you focus on customer experience. Start by discovering the customer journey; how, when, and where they shop, the influencers, and even what happens after they buy. Then focus on a pain point in the customer journey and solve that.
Improving customer experience increases loyalty and repeat sales.
1. 体验
传统营销建议我们专注于产品功能。它建议找到一个消费者利益并反复向目标受众推广。技术带来的市场优势越来越小，无论是消费类电子产品还是金融类产品，或是一个网站甚至平台，实现起来也会非常快，“数字觉醒”之后的消费者，在消费行为上也发生了很大转变，使得营销者不得不把注意力更加集中，不仅集中于消费者，而要更加深入其整体的消费体验。
No.2 Place to Everyplace
Owing to limited options, retail was the only place customers could access products. However, customers can now create their paths to purchase. It can be in store or online. It can be on social media or an online store. It can be via phone or a laptop. It is now upon customers to embrace the concept of everyplace over a place.
To be effective, you have to intercept - instead of interrupting - people when they are receptive to engaging with you and your product.
However, this strategy can be the typical case of the snake biting its tail. Though e-commerce is growing, it only accounts for about 10% of sales, while retail sales account for about 90%. Therefore, everyplace does not have to be online, and it can be improving face to face and customer to customer experience.
Nevertheless, here is an infographic that can help you drive more sales through your online channels. Solving these pain points will improve your everyplace strategy drastically.
2. 无所不在
传统交易和购买行为发生的地点主要在门店，专业一点的词汇叫做终端，营销者的主要关注点则是研究产品如何在货架陈列，由于电商和移动互联网的出现，如今的消费和购买行为已经无时无刻而且无所不在，如今的营销不仅是解决触达用户的问题，而是需要保证足够有趣，能够让用户乐于接受，甚至乐于分享，否则消费者如果感到被冒犯，对于品牌而言将会是大麻烦。
No.3 Price to Exchange
Price was as simple as giving a product for the money. Marketers and retailers, therefore, focused on keeping the price down, so they can be competitive. However, this is a race to the bottom, and price takes a back seat when dealing with high potential customers. Therefore, to attract high-value customers, it’s time that marketers focus on exchange over amount.
Exchange involves being aware of the value of things and using this as the unique selling point. Marketers have to know what could drive customers to give them attention and even permission, which are a premium now. It could be anything from respecting the customer’s time, a pay-it-forward gift, or a simple thank you making the customer feel appreciated.
3. 花费
价格就像给钱的产品一样简单。因此，营销人员和零售商专注于保持价格下降，以便他们具有竞争力。然而，在与高潜力客户打交道时，价格会退居二线。因此，为了吸引高价值的客户，营销人员应该专注于交易。每个人对价值的追求是不同的，而品牌应通过内在价值来打动顾客，应将产品和服务作为一个整体进行思考，而不是仅仅考虑顾客的成本，为顾客输出其最渴求的价值。
No.4 Promotion to Evangelism
Finally, it is time that marketers focus on evangelism over product promotion. Though repeatedly promoting a product to your target audience was effective, evangelism has emerged as a more powerful and affordable way to drive sales.
Evangelism marries the oldest form of persuasion word of mouth, which drives 13% of sales with its newest, which is social networking. However, 2/3 of word of mouth is still person to person, and thus you should focus on improving the customer experience.
You should craft a mission statement that elicits emotion, and passion and ensure it relates to your target audience. By finding energy and passion in what you are selling, potential customers will plug in, become emotionally invested, and eventually, brand ambassadors (evangelists).
4.宣传
最后，现在是营销人员关注产品推广口碑的时候了。虽然向目标受众反复宣传产品是有效的，但口碑传播已成为推动销售的更有力和更实惠的方式。口碑结合了最古老的口口相传形式，其推动了13％的最新销售，即社交网络。然而，2/3的口口相传仍然是人与人之间，因此您应该专注于改善客户体验。消费品领域长期供大于求，把人们带入了一个丰饶时代。在互联网的催化之下，人们的价值观日趋多元，面对今天的消费者，营销者最好抛弃直线式的推送和说服模式，转而通过向品牌中注入激情，通过有吸引力的创意，让人们主动参与和分享。
Conclusion
The 4P’s have been instrumental in business growth, but it is about time that retailers and marketers evolve. Embracing the 4E’s, experience, exchange, evangelism, and everyplace puts you and your business in a better place for success.
拥抱4E，产品体验，交易本身，口碑传播，营销无处不在这些新理念都将您和您的企业置于更成功之地。
