The 4 Ps - Final Visualization Options

The 4 Ps: Final Visualization

Three design approaches for the ebook

Each visualization tells the complete story: the theory McCarthy created, the reality of modern marketing, and how to bridge the gap.

Option 1
Theory vs Reality
A side-by-side comparison showing McCarthy's integrated system versus the modern reality where marketing only controls Promotion. Makes the problem immediately visual.
The Theory (1960)
The Integrated System
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
"The power wasn't in the individual elements—it was in seeing them as an integrated system." — E.J. McCarthy
The Reality (2025)
The 1P Trap
Product
Price
Place
Promotion
✓ Marketing owns this
"Too much of today's marketing is 1P marketing. Companies mainly concentrate on promotion and disregard product, price and place. This results in ineffective marketing." — Philip Kotler
Use This Framework to Advocate
Marketing should influence all 4 Ps. Here's how to get your seat at the table:
  • Product: Bring customer insights to development meetings
  • Price: Present positioning analysis alongside margin targets
  • Place: Share channel strategy based on customer journey
  • Promotion: Execute effectively when the other 3 Ps are aligned
Option 2
The Integrated System
Shows marketing at the center with connections to all 4 Ps. Emphasizes the strategic orchestration role and the feedback loops between marketing and each element.
Strategic
Marketing
Product
Marketing brings: Customer insights, market validation, positioning strategy
Price
Marketing brings: Perceived value analysis, competitive positioning, elasticity studies
Place
Marketing brings: Customer journey mapping, channel strategy, brand alignment
Promotion
Marketing owns: Messaging, creative, channels, attribution, execution
"If every department only does its own job well, the company will fail."
— Philip Kotler
"Marketing is most effective when involved in all 4 Ps—not owning them, but influencing them with market intelligence and customer insights."
— Framework takeaway
Option 3
The Evolution Timeline
A chronological story showing how the 4 Ps framework evolved from McCarthy's vision through today's reality, with specific examples of what happens when it breaks down.
1960
The Vision
E.J. McCarthy publishes "Basic Marketing" and introduces the 4 Ps as an integrated management framework. Marketing owns strategic decisions across Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. The goal: systematic thinking about the entire marketing system.
1960-1990
The Golden Era
At P&G, Unilever, and major CPG companies, marketers lead from the C-suite. Marketing influences product development, pricing strategy, distribution, and promotion. The 4 Ps work as intended.
1990-2010
The Erosion
Rise of tech companies led by engineers and product managers. Finance takes control of pricing. Sales owns distribution strategy. Marketing gets pushed into "marcom"—marketing communications. The 4 Ps framework remains, but marketing only controls the Promotion P.
2010-Present
The Consequences
Famous failures when the 4 Ps are misaligned:

• New Coke (1985): Wrong Product, massive Promotion. Failed spectacularly.
• 3D TVs (2010s): Wrong Product for market demand. Huge ad spend couldn't save it.
• Meta's Metaverse: Wrong Product, Wrong Price. Billions in promotion, zero adoption.
• Humane AI Pin: Wrong Product, Wrong Price ($699 + subscription). Failed despite media coverage.
The Solution
Getting Back to Basics
Use the 4 Ps framework to advocate for marketing's strategic role. Marketing doesn't need to OWN all 4 Ps, but must INFLUENCE all 4 Ps with customer insights, market intelligence, and positioning strategy. When marketing only owns Promotion, everyone loses—including the customer.
"No amount of creative advertising can save a product nobody is willing to pay for, and it turns out to be incredibly easy to overestimate who will."
— Liam Moroney, Marketing Strategist
The Reality Check Questions
Before promoting any product, ask these questions:
  • What market research validated demand for this Product?
  • What positioning analysis supports this Price?
  • What customer journey mapping informed this Place strategy?
  • If I can't answer these, am I being set up to fail?