The Ps of Marketing

Using the marketing mix during the application and hiring processes could be very advantageous for the job seeker. Using the marketing mix as a tool could help analyze various parts of a job before the job search. This could also help during the interview or application processes. The 4 p's that the marketing mix consists of are product, price, place, and promotion.

Place- This covers the actual location of the job as well as your location. With this in mind, you need to ask yourself if the job is located in a place you either A) can get to easily or B) a place you would not mind moving too. Having a job that is difficult to get to could lead to unneeded stress, excessive use of gas, or various other things.  Having a job that is halfway across the country when you have no plans to move would not really be the best decision, so keeping place in mind while looking is important.

Promotion- Figuring out how to sell yourself to the employer is key to acquiring the job. Figuring how to flesh out your strengths towards the company, what you bring to the company, and how your the best fit for the job help when applying for a job. Finding these characteristics can also help to find the job that is right, if you don't have some sort of strength to bring to a business then it is not the right place for you. Figuring out how to present your weaknesses is also important, letting them know if need be or figuring out a way to present them in a manner where they seem to not be a burden.

Price- Figuring out the price you want to work for is important. Figuring out your minimum price can help when trying to find a job. If you present the employer with a high price and you end up having to go lower, it will seem as if you are cutting a deal. If the minimum price is reached and then dropped further, you know you should not work there. However, you need to keep in mind the other people applying for whatever job you are being interviewed for. If they can hire someone for lower than your minimum, then the decision is go somewhere else or drop your price further.

Product- Figuring out exactly what you bring to the company and why you will be a valuable asset is essential. In the case of finding a job, you are the product. You need to figure out how to present yourself in a way that shows the employers that you are the best person, or product, for the job. Using the other 4 p's to aid you, you can make yourself the best possible product, or person, for the job. 

Advertisement, Marketing, and Propaganda

At first thought, advertisement and marketing seem to go hand and hand. In my mind, I thought of marketing as the process of figuring out how to go about advertising a certain product, service, or idea. An example of marketing would be finding the best way to advertise to a certain target market or group, such as advertising some sort of young adult product on MTV since many young adults watch that channel. How the actual definition of marketing is as follows, "the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing, and selling" (dictionary.com). Advertising is more of a sub category of marketing rather than being the next step in the transfer of goods process. 


I think of advertisement as the commercials seen on TV that promote a certain product, service, or idea regardless of profitability. Advertisement is more of a way to influence the audience to purchase or use the product, service, or idea rather than the steps to actually transfer the goods. As defined on dictionary.com, "the act or practice of calling public attention to one's product, service, need, etc., esp. by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc." An example would be any of the commercials seen on TV.

I think of propaganda as some form of slander essentially. The adds political campaigns use to bash their opponents is considered propaganda, leaving information out of the actual commercial to deliberately put down their opponent. Commercials could use this to their advantage in order to persuade consumers to buy their product while leaving out vital information that would make it seem off putting, such as side effects or quality of the actual product. Taken from dictionary.com, "information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc."