What are the activities constitute the marketing mix
Collectively, the activities constitute the marketing mix -4Ps, as McCarthy (1960) originally referred to them - and the fundamental task of marketing is to combine these 4Ps into a marketing programme to facilitate the exchange process. Use of the 4Ps approach has been criticised as limiting the scope of the marketing manager. McCarthy's assumption was that tools of the marketing mix allow adaptation to uncontrollable external environment. It's now seen that external environment can be influenced and managed strategically and rise and influence of the service sector isn't easily accommodated within original 4Ps. To accommodate these factors, extra Ps, like Processes, Political Power and People, have been suggested. A marketing mix of 20Ps has even been proposed by some but essence of the mix remains the same and this deterministic approach has raised concerns and doubts about its usefulness in a marketing environment which is very different from that in which 4Ps were conceived.