A school of thought suggests that the principal factor contributing to the success of an enterprise is the way it markets and promotes its products. I completely disagree with this perspective, as product quality and pricing are equally, if not more, important.
Firstly, consumers care most about the quality of the merchandise that they purchase. While good marketing and promotion can make a product appealing to buyers at first, customers will not continue purchasing it if the quality is poor. A pertinent example is the new hot wings that were recently added to the menu of a fast-food restaurant in Vietnam called Jollibee. Despite the excellent marketing strategy that made the dishes look juicy and delicious, the establishment was forced to discontinue serving the wings shortly after launch due to complaints from customers saying that they tasted nothing like they looked on the commercial.
Secondly, the price of a product is one of the main factors that individuals take into consideration when they shop. No matter how appealing marketing and promotion make a product look, it cannot be sold if it is over the target buyers’ budgets. An exemplary case is the new Samsung Galaxy smartphone, which is considered a failed product despite several promotions that aim to reduce the price of the phone. Many people report that even after the promotions, they still cannot afford the device, leading to disastrous sales numbers for Samsung retailers.
In conclusion, the most desirable products are the ones which are of high quality and affordable. Therefore, before planning marketing and promotion strategies, companies should first focus on the quality and the price of their merchandise.