Untitled

380 marketing, international
conceived for all organisations and firms involved
in tourism marketing, it has proven to be especially
useful for national and regional offices acting in
multiple markets with a highly diversified product
line. In this case, tourism marketers are encouraged
to benefit from comprehensive marketing research
information.
See also: information technology; market
analysis; marketing; strategic marketing
Further reading
Kotler, P. �1994) Marketing Management:Analysis,
Planning, Implementation and Control, London:
Prentice Hall International. �A general marketing
management book with strong emphasis on
the description of the development and use of
marketing information systems.)
Marshal, K. �1996) Marketing Information Systems:
Creating Competitive Advantage in the Information Age,
Danvers: Boyd & Fraser. �Provides an understanding
of the basic components of marketing
information systems and their development.)
WoÈber, K. �1997) `Marketing information and
decision support on the Internet: new opportunities
for national, regional and city tourist
offices', in Information and Communication Technologies
in Tourism Proceedings of the International
ENTER Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland 1997,
Vienna and New York: Springer Verlag. �Describes
a successful implementation of a marketing
information system for tourist offices.)
marketing, international
KARL WO È BER, AUSTRIA
International marketing is the performance of
business activities that direct the flow of a
company's products and services to customers
and other companies across national boundaries
for a profit. The only difference from domestic
marketing is that international marketing takes
place in more than one country. Several journals,
such as the International Marketing Review, are devoted
to the theme.
See also: cross-cultural studies; globalisation;
international tourism
marketing mix
MARCUS SCHMIDT, DENMARK
The marketing mix is the set of tools that
companies use to penetrate their target markets.
A company must decide what level of expenditures
is necessary to achieve its marketing objectives,
and how to divide such costs among the variables
of the mix. The marketing mix is usually
characterised as the `four Ps': product, price,
place �distribution) and promotion, all applicable to
and frequently used in tourism studies.
Product is the firm's tangible offer to the
market. The term `product' is used to refer to
physical goods, services or ideas that are offered for
exchange. The most fundamental level of a product
or service is its core benefit, the basic or primary
benefit that the customer is really buying. A
company turns the core into a service to satisfy
customers. Benefits can be added to the offering
which will take the customer beyond satisfaction
to delight, exceeding normal expectations and
desires with unanticipated benefits. Price is the
amount of money customers pay for a service or
product corresponding to the offer's perceived
value �see pricing). This is one of the most flexible
elements of the marketing mix. Unlike product
features or channel commitments, it can be
changed fairly quickly. Price should be set as an
intrinsic element of the market positioning strategy,
not independent of the other elements of the
marketing mix.
Place encompasses the various activities that the
firm undertakes to make the service or product
accessible and available to target customers �see
market segmentation; target marketing).
Marketing intermediaries are used to make a
product or service available for consumption. They
include merchants who buy, take title to and resell
merchandise; agents who search for customers and
may negotiate on behalf of the producer; and
facilitators who assist in the distribution process
�see distribution channel), but do not take title
to goods or negotiate purchases or sales. Place also