AQA · GCSE · Business
Course version: 8132 · Version from Sept 2017
Price, product, promotion and place (4Ps): inform/remind customers about…
Full specification wording
The elements of the marketing mix: price, product, promotion and place (4Ps): inform/remind customers about the product
Promotion has an informational role: it tells customers what a product is, what it does, its features, its price and where it can be bought.
Checked against the AQA 8132 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 64 of 80
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Promotion has an informational role: it tells customers what a product is, what it does, its features, its price and where it can be bought. This matters when a product is new, when it has been improved, or when the business has changed price or availability. Promotion also has a reminding role: it keeps an existing product in customers' minds so they repurchase and stay loyal. For example, a drinks firm may advertise a new flavour to inform customers, then run repeat advertising to remind them the brand still exists. Informing and reminding are therefore distinct but linked purposes, and the method chosen should match the purpose.
What earns the marks
- Defines informing as giving customers facts about the product, such as features, price or availability.
- Defines reminding as keeping an existing product in customers' minds to encourage repeat purchase.
- Explains that informing is especially important for new or improved products.
- Explains that reminding supports customer loyalty and repeat sales for established products.
- Links each purpose to a suitable method, such as advertising to inform or reminder advertising to maintain awareness.
- Applies informing or reminding to a specific business context from the case study.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating informing and reminding as identical.
Put it right: Informing gives new facts, while reminding reinforces existing knowledge.
Assuming reminding only works for new products.
Put it right: Reminding is most useful for established products with existing customers.
Ignoring the product context.
Put it right: The message should relate to the actual product, its features and its target customers.
Exam tips
- Use the case study to name the product and the specific information customers need.
- Distinguish clearly between giving new information and reinforcing existing awareness.
- Explain the effect on customer behaviour, such as trial purchase or repeat purchase.
Try the lesson
The start of the The elements of the marketing mix: price, product, promotion and place (4Ps): inform/remind customers about the product lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which one of the following best describes what is meant by informing customers about a product?
Listen
Promotion has an informational role: it tells customers what a product is, what it does, its features, its price and where it can be bought. This matters when a product is new, when it has been improved, or when the business has changed price or availability. Promotion also has a reminding role: it keeps an existing product in customers' minds so they repurchase and stay loyal. For example, a drinks firm may advertise a new flavour to inform customers, then run repeat advertising to remind them the brand still exists. Informing and reminding are therefore distinct but linked purposes, and the method chosen should match the purpose. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Defines informing as giving customers facts about the product, such as features, price or availability. Defines reminding as keeping an existing product in customers' minds to encourage repeat purchase. Explains that informing is especially important for new or improved products. Explains that reminding supports customer loyalty and repeat sales for established products. A common slip: Treating informing and reminding as identical. Instead, informing gives new facts, while reminding reinforces existing knowledge. Exam tip: Use the case study to name the product and the specific information customers need.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Informing
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Reminding
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Repeat purchase
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Customer loyalty
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Informing
- Giving customers facts about the product, such as features, price or availability.
- Reminding
- Keeping an existing product in customers' minds to encourage repeat purchase.
- Repeat purchase
- Customers buying the product again, which reminding supports for established products.
- Customer loyalty
- Staying loyal to a product, which reminding supports for established products.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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