Dunn's Den of Knowledge.

Traditional textbooks cite the four essential “P’s” of marketing:

            Product

            Price

            Place

            Promotion

I would add “Perception” to the list, but maybe that’s just a sub-set of promotion. Also, “Place” used to have retail connotations, but that’s been augmented by catalogues and direct mail, and now of course by the internet.

Since “P” is a useful letter, I make it the key to successful advertising as well.

Here’s my formula:

P(1) plus P(2) times P(3) equals P(4)

P(1) is Promise.         That is the benefit a brand stands for. That’s its positioning, its reason for being.

P(2) is Proof.             Why should customers believe the promise? That adds to its believability and acceptance.

In the old days, that would be enough.  At P&G I learned to just “show and tell,” and users will flock to the brand.  But now everybody understands there is a vital ingredient, and if it’s missing, it won’t work. 

People buy from people they like. Today’s great ads have charm and likeability.

P(3) is Personal Contact.      This is a great multiplier. It tells people that you are just like them, that you have something                                                   special for them.

So if you have the right mix of those three “P’s,” you’ll have the potential of a great campaign—

 P(4) is Powerful Advertising.

Successful brands and memorable advertising are not only products; they have a personality and a built-in trustworthiness. They have a fulfilled promise, not only for now, but for the future.  They are a friend.

George Lemmond