Marketing Basics ( MAR 004-1 )

For Assignment 3 on this unit I think that you will find that all the standard texbooks including Brassington & Pettitt should have some information about the 4
( later 7 ) P's of Marketing

Product
Price
Place
Promotion

People
Process
Physical Evidence

8 Social Media Trends Impacting Business

As businesses continue to integrate social media and become more confident and comfortable with social media tools and platforms, we’re starting to see a change in social media usage. A new study reveals what’s changing with social media.

SmartBrief recently partnered with Summus Limited to survey more than 6,000 of its readers across a variety of industries.

They benchmarked and measured the state of social media usage among businesspeople. The data identified eight prevalent trends that give great insight into the social media behaviors, beliefs and challenges of the majority of businesses today.
FDor more click here.

11 practical business uses for LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter

Here is good summary article by Aliza Sherman listing the business benefits of using the major social media tools, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

She says :
"I’m often asked how social networks can be used for practical business purposes. While convincing people that LinkedIn is a good professional tool is not hard, many folks are not using Facebook for anything other than communicating with friends or playing games, and are not using Twitter at all; articulating the business value of Facebook and Twitter to those people can be challenging."

British Brands ?

One less British Brand now as Cadbury closes its last UK production plant ( a factory near Bristol closes, 400 jobs lost )

Edge, Simon ( 2010) Bye-bye British business ? Daily Express, 7th December, p.28

Rollin', Rollin, Rollin......

Don't forget the Print Journals in our Rolling Stack. Lots of useful information ( eg Mintel Reports ) which is ( shock horror ) not available on the internet.

Family Bargains

The addition of a new shop to Luton ( Family Bargains ) has at least made the main shopping area look less derelict. Family bargains is occupying the site of the old Marks & Spencers. Marks & Spencers moved on to the site of the old Woolworths store ( prior to the complete collapse of Woolworths )


Family Bargains is a discount store similar to the Pound Shop inside the Mall.

The number of empty premises in a town is sometimes seen as a measure of the economy, so at least Luton's numerous 'cheap' stores are making the town centre look slightly more prosperous.

A good article on the subject :
Mathiason, N (2010) Ghost town threat as UK shops fall empty. Guardian, 10th February 2010