cing centrally and exporting to member states
Reduced the amount of time crossing borders
Increased competition in transportation and lowered costs
Increased competition and reduced product prices
To get a quick overview of the history of the EU and how it relates to the above, read the linked article on the history of the EU, http://europa.eu.int/abc/obj/chrono/40years/7days/en.htm .
Now that we have a very rough sketch of what the European Union (EU) is, we must deal with it impact on marketing goods and services within the members of the EU. In order to do this, we must deal with the question of what is marketing. My experience is that many people equate marketing with selling or advertising. Is it that or is it something more?
Phillip Kotler, a well known authority on marketing uses the following definition:
Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering, and exchanging products of value with others.
Marketing is the process of satisfying demand; the connection between the provider of the product and the buyer.
On the marketing side of the equation, what you need to grasp is that marketing is a concept that spills over into every aspect of a company's activities. From what colors to order, to how to train telephone operators, to how to service a product, companies must look at marketing considerations in order to make such decisions. Traditionally, marketing has been broken down into four components known as the four "P's":
Product - What is the physical product or service is being sold to the consumer?
Price - What price does the purchaser have to pay to receive the product or service?
Place - What channels of distribution are used for the product or service?
Promotion - What kind of information is being conveyed to the consumer about the product and how is it being conveyed?
How these four e...