Economic and social transformations are felt in one way or another and with different intensities in each facet of the country's development process. Therefore, Cuban entities, companies, scientific institutions, universities, etc., are not unaware of these changes, therefore, they are in need of conducting commercial investigations in order to find the necessary resources to continue to perform its social function and at the same time increase the state's resources.
Consequently, this article aims to critically outline the different theoretical approaches to the theory of the commercialization of non-tangible products and marketing according to the economic and social environment of Cuban society from a scientific perspective in a way that allows creating the indispensable theoretical framework to ensure a correct development strategy for higher education centers, particularly university centers.
1.1 Marketing. Conceptual definitions
Marketing is the set of actions aimed at marketing products, goods or services. Marketing techniques cover all procedures and ways of working to effectively introduce products into the distribution system (Ugarte et al., 2003). Therefore, marketing translates into the act of planning and organizing a set of necessary activities that allow putting a merchandise or service in the right place at the right time, making it possible for customers, who make up the market, to know and consume it.
Thus, to commercialize a product is to find for him the presentation and the packaging likely to interest future buyers, the most appropriate distribution network and the conditions of sale that will stimulate distributors on each channel.
According to Kotler (1995), the commercialization process includes four fundamental aspects: when ?, where ?, to whom? and how? In the first, the author refers to the precise moment to carry it out; in the second aspect, to the geographical strategy; the third, to the definition of the target audience and finally, a reference is made to the strategy to follow for the introduction of the product to the market.
In the marketing of a new product, the time of entry decision is critical. When a company has quickly completed the new product development period and knows that the competition is at the end of the job then, it faces three choices:
- Be the first to enter: The company that first enters a new market enjoys the “advantages of being the first”, which consists of obtaining some key distributors and customers and obtaining a reputation for leadership. Conversely, if the product is launched on the market before it is fully developed, the company could acquire an image of imperfect products. Parallel delivery: the company could plan its entry time with the competitor and if it rushes to launch it does the same. same. If the competitor takes his time, the company must also take his time, using this additional time to refine the product. The corporation could agree to have the promotion and launch costs shared by both. Subsequent delivery:the company could delay its launch until the competition has done so, which would have three potential advantages. Competition will have borne the cost of educating the market. The competitor's product may reveal flaws that can be avoided by the new entrant. And the company can know the size of the market.
Deciding when to enter carries additional considerations. If the new product replaces an old one from the company, the company may delay its introduction until the stock of the old product runs out. If the new good is in seasonal demand, it could be maintained until the right moment arrives.
On the other hand, the company must decide whether to launch the new product in a single locality, a region, in several regions, in the national market or in the international market. Few companies have the confidence, capital, and ability to launch new products on a national scale, so they will develop a deployment plan for the market over time. Specifically, small companies will select an attractive city and a lightning campaign to enter the market and subsequently do so in other cities. Large companies will introduce their products in one region and then move to others.
Companies with national distribution networks will launch their new models on a national scale.
In deployment marketing, the company has to assess the attractiveness of the various alternative markets. In this sense, the most important evaluation criteria are: market potential, local reputation of the company, cost of supplying the area, quality of the research data of the area, its influence on others and penetration of the competition. In this way, the company orders the markets and develops a geographic deployment plan.
The company must decide its distribution and promotion to the best groups within a geographic area. The ideal target audiences for new products should have the following characteristics: be "early adopters", highly consumers, opinion leaders, speak favorably about the product and be able to reach them at low costs. Few groups have all these characteristics, so it is necessary to order the different potential groupings based on these characteristics and focus on the best of the sets. The goal is to generate strong sales as soon as possible to motivate the sales team and attract new distributors.
To define how to introduce the new product in the deployment markets, the company must develop an action plan, distributing the marketing budget among the various components of the marketing mix and marking a specific time for the different activities.
Organizations increasingly recognize the need and benefits of regularly developing new products and services. Thus, the more mature and declining ones should be replaced by newer ones. However, the new ones frequently fail. The risks of innovation are as great as the rewards for it. The key to successful innovation lies in having a suitable organization that handles new product ideas and develops adequate research, creating decision procedures for each level and for each stage of the new goods development process.
Consumers, before a new good or service, respond differently over time according to their own characteristics and those of the products. Manufacturers are trying to bring their new offerings to the attention of potential initial adapters, particularly those with opinion leader characteristics.
1.2 Marketing system or Marketing
System theory provides the adequate analytical framework to contextualize commercialization activity if the concept defined by Hernández, (1998) is taken into account, which considers that a system is a set of elements with properties and attributes that constitute a whole, both related to each other and to the environment common to them, from which certain power inputs are obtained and to which they provide certain outputs.
The products or services obtained by the company, either through its own production or through acquisition, are directed towards a market where these goods will be assigned to its future consumers. This activity, which begins in the production process and reaches the consumer, is known as the "marketing system" or "marketing system" (Bueno, 1989).
The company's marketing system is aimed at planning, setting prices, promoting and distributing products and services that meet the needs of current or potential consumers, with the main objectives of increasing market share, profitability and growth in sales figures..
Similarly, the marketing system is concerned with analyzing and studying market opportunities, as well as establishing an action plan aimed at establishing the necessary means so that their opportunities are translated into the fulfillment of their commercial objectives.
In general, a marketing system (Bueno, 1989) must take into account a set of aspects which are listed below:
1. The market environment that includes the external elements that affect global demand, such as: population growth, per capita income, demand for complementary goods, etc.
2. Objectives and strategies of competing companies that affect the reaction of sales against the commercial actions of the company.
3. Strategic decisions of the company regarding the product portfolio that targets the market and the distribution channels used.
4. Operational decisions of the company regarding the use of the variables price, product, advertising and distribution.
5. Explanatory model of consumer behavior that reflects the impact that the aforementioned elements have on sales (environment, competition, and strategic and tactical decisions).
6. Explanatory model of the company's objectives and the impact on them of the sales and expected costs.
These elements are integrated into the knowledge of the market and its reactions to the different commercial stimuli controlled or not by the company and the configuration of a commercial plan in which the dissimilar strategic and tactical decisions that the company can take are integrated so that they lead to the satisfaction of your goals.
1.3 Structure of the marketing system
From an internal perspective, marketing constitutes a business function interrelated with two other major company functions: production and financing (See Figure No. 1 in Annexes). The structure of the marketing system depends to a great extent on these two elements since the expected sales depend on manufacturing costs and investment needs.
The production system consists of the use of human and material factors for the elaboration of goods and the provision of services. All productive activity is conditioned by the type of product produced, however, it is not the exclusive responsibility of the production management.
In general, when the product is destined for the market and does not have to respond to the characteristics defined by a particular customer, commercial research studies are required to know consumer reactions to different alternatives, as well as market tests and estimates of potential sales and profitability of different new product projects, all of which concern marketing management. It is the responsibility of production management to transform the initial concept into a final product and to design the system so that the new product is developed as efficiently as possible (Gorostegui, 1992).
The sale action is not only subject to the moment in which it is carried out but it is prolonged in time through the post-sale activity that also provides feedback control of the activity.
According to the criteria of Naylor and Vernon (1973), an appropriate commercial combination will result in a determined volume of sales, although it cannot be ignored that other factors not controllable by the company, such as environmental variables (economic, demographic, cultural, competition, etc.) However, from the point of view of marketing, the real sale is the one that is made at the end of the process when the consumer acquires the good. (Gorostegui, 1992)
On the basis of market studies carried out, sales targets are set and in turn the marketing efforts that the company has to carry out are determined. In this sense, Webster (1977) pointed out that higher marketing expenses usually correspond to higher sales, and vice versa, therefore, if the sales objective is raised, then it will require more expenses to achieve it.
Nowadays, the creation of important sales forces has become relevant. Sales staff serve to engage the company with customers. For many buyers, the company is represented by the sales force, which means that they have to do their best to design their sales team, that is, develop their objectives, structure, size and remuneration (Kotler, 1995).
On the other hand, the marketing system starts from the unmet needs of the market and the financial, technical and commercial limitations.
These two questions define the market segment to which the company will target and the product with which it will target. The needs and characteristics of the target market, the limitations of the company and the distribution network, and the attributes of the product, determine the distribution policy to be followed.
The promotion and advertising policy is also conditioned by the needs and characteristics of the market, the commercial and advertising limitations of the company. The needs of the market and its characteristics as well as that of its products and that of the types of distribution and promotion selected, which together with the financial limitations of the company determine the pricing policy.
The company has to conquer the target market using what is commonly called or usually called the marketing mix, which is only one of the possible combinations of the four policies or variables mentioned above: product, distribution, promotion and prices (4 P's). The marketing mix integrates quantitative and qualitative decisions that are made in different temporal and spatial dimensions (Gorostegui, 1992). Finally, decisions on the four variables of marketing qualitatively determine the functioning of the marketing system.
Various are the definitions that have been given on the concept of product, however, for the purposes of this research, the one proposed by Kotler (1995) is assumed, where it is defined as everything that can be offered in a market in order to pay attention to it to be acquired, used or consumed, in order to satisfy a desire or a need. This encompasses physical objects, services, sites, organizations, and ideas.
The commercial system is the one that plays a leading role regarding the (non-technical) characteristics of the product. Therefore, the main decisions are aimed at differentiating the product portfolio in order to break the homogeneity of the market and thus limit its own market segment. The buyer, for his part, chooses from a possible competitive field the product that he considers has the most appropriate characteristics (quality, packaging, etc.) or from the other commercial instruments (distribution, price, advertising).
It is always convenient to differentiate industrial products and consumer products, since in industrial products the selection is made through an objective weighing of the attributes that each product has, while in normal consumer products, the purchase is decided based on a subjective assessment of the candidate products, which in turn is influenced by multiple factors (Spitz, 1975).
The price, according to Gorostegui (1992) is a commercial variable, characterized in many cases by the speed of its effects on sales. Therefore, it is said that, like advertising, it is a short-term action variable. It also maintains that the price of a good is its exchange value and this does not have to coincide with the technical value, which is a subjective magnitude, based on the assessment of qualities such as quality and technological perfection. The value that consumers are willing to pay for a product depends rather on its ability to satisfy wants and needs.
The importance of price decisions is conditioned by the type of product the company owns or by the corresponding market structure. In a strictly competitive market, the price is determined by the quantities demanded and offered, the possibility of the producer acting on the price being null (Stanton, 1969).
The marketing strategy must match the objectives pursued in setting prices with the general goals of the company, always taking into account the most relevant ones, which are profit and profitability, increased sales and gradual profit from the market share, a favorable situation with respect to the competition as well as the maintenance of the image achieved by the company and its products, among other aspects.
In relation to communication or advertising, Philip Kotler (1995) and Ferrer (1969) proposed a communication model made up of several elements. According to the authors, there are two that are main in all communication: the sender and the receiver, two others represent the communication tools, that is: the message and the medium, others that represent communication functions and finally coincide with the noise in the system.
Advertising is a form of mass communication, paid, which aims to convey information, create an attitude or induce action that is deemed beneficial to the communicator. It is produced at a cost that is the use of a means of communication and is aimed at two objectives: to inform about a certain characteristic of a product or a specific problem, or to persuade the receiver to adopt an attitude or behavior (purchase) (Well 1989).
The distribution comprises the various activities of the company so that the product reaches the target consumers. This variable seeks to create utility of time, place and possession, by having the product accessible where and when customers want to buy it. The objective is to distribute the correct product in the right place, on time and in the correct quantities (Pons and Escobar, 2001).
Distribution is an almost exclusive task of a large number of companies in which there is no production and where an acquisition of products is made that are subsequently sold after undergoing some transformation that may be physical, temporal or spatial. It is strongly conditioned by the structure of the commercial channel characteristic of the product in question, although on certain occasions - if the company has sufficient power over the market - it can impose its own conception of the product's commercialization channel (Bueno, 1989).
A distribution channel can be defined as the path that a product must travel from its elaboration until it reaches the final consumer. In this sense, Gorostegui (1992) states that from his point of view, there are at least four reasons why the proper selection of the distribution channel is of great importance:
1. The sale is not really complete until the product is purchased by the final consumer, to whom it must be sent. The fact that the product is in a wholesaler's warehouse or on a retailer's shelf does not ensure that it will eventually be sold.
2. Distributors continue the marketing activities of the company, being responsible, in many cases for customer service and post-sale activities that may affect the image of the product and the manufacturer.
3. Most of the distributors work with products and brands of different companies that compete with each other and the support of the distributor in one or the other can be a factor of great incidence in their respective sales volumes.
4. Most of the products are usually found in the maturity phase of their life cycle and it is in this stage that the support of the distributors is most important, since it is in this period that other products of similar characteristics competing in the different market segments. The help of distributors can extend the life cycle of the product.
The Marketing Information System (SIM) defined by Kotler (1992) as the set of people, teams and procedures designed to collect, classify, analyze, assess and distribute the information demanded by marketing managers on time is an effective way to Obtain timely and accurate information from the environment for future decision-making, execution and control.
Therefore, the SIM is nothing more than a set of structured relationships that aims to generate an organized flow of information from the environment and from the company itself, intended to serve as the basis for decision-making, management and control of the marketing system. or marketing.
The three main characteristics of a Marketing Information System defined by Kotler (1992) are:
1. It is formed or integrated by four subsystems, which are related to each other, that is, they are interrelated. These subsystems are: internal data, marketing intelligence, marketing support, and market research.
2. It contributes to efficiently manage information and decision-making within the company, allows marketing managers to decide what information is relevant to the company as well as classify that information and analyze it, and above all, distribute that information on time.
3. Its operation requires the use of information technologies to be able to accurately analyze and evaluate in a reasonable time or period the large volume of data that is handled in companies.
An aspect of vital importance for the creation of the marketing system for the company's products or services is the knowledge that the company has on the market. The use of internal sources is not always sufficient, which is why the need to collect additional information through market research arises and which undoubtedly must be carried out by the marketing or commercialization department, since the same way integral part of the SIM.
The function of market research involves the diagnosis of information needs, its systematic and objective search through the design of methods to obtain it, the collection of data, the analysis and interpretation of relevant information to identify and solve any problem or opportunity in the field of Marketing and its timely distribution among users who make decisions.
In theory, market research is the systematic and objective approach to the development and provision of information for the decision-making process and solving specific and specific problems, however, in practice, it is not always limited to solving specific problems, but rather that there is a tendency to use it more than it should.
Studies such as: consumer behaviors, attitudes, tastes and preferences, lifestyles and consumption patterns, analysis of products and possibilities of new products, perceptions of own products and the competition, study on the attributes of the product, potential and market share, market segmentation and location of new markets and points of sale, studies on distribution and communication among other aspects and others constitute objects of a market research.
Business decisions are aimed at ensuring the most favorable placement of products on the market. Hence the importance of knowledge of it and its reactions to different business styles. A set of variables not controllable by the company operate on it, such as those from the environment, whose only possible action is to foresee its evolution. For example, those from the competition.
The commercial system is in immediate contact with the environment that surrounds the company, perceiving the changes and carrying out an adaptation process. Thus, the falls in sales figures due to the economic situation will be answered with a decrease in the production rate or with an increase in stocks of declining sales of a product or its replacement by a new product, etc. In short, variations from the environment are captured and responded to through a process of change and adaptation to it.
On the other hand, the creation of the Client Portfolio can constitute a powerful weapon for the management of the company, which will guarantee a deeper knowledge of them, their needs, their wishes, their behavior before and after the acquisition of the products and / or services, the attributes that define the purchase decision and any other relevant element for the company that makes it up, allowing to maintain a strategic attitude in business management with an eye on the market and its trends (Stanton, 1969).
It also allows the company to adapt the controllable variables to guarantee an offer that fully satisfies its customers, thus achieving customization that leads to the loyalty of current customers and gain new ones. In this way, specific strategies can be designed for different clients, since having a more accurate knowledge of their behavior facilitates tasks such as communication and negotiation.
From a marketing point of view, the Client Portfolio is a document, which can be adopted in the most viable way for the company that makes it, which contains relevant information about the company's current clients and their behavior, to support the process of design of strategies and decision making. (Kotler, 1995)
The most appropriate form for the design of this document is that of a database, designed from the internal information of the company, which must be managed by the marketing subsystem of others, such as the financial one, and from the information itself. that it be able to obtain the personnel in charge of this activity in the company as a result of periodic investigations of its clients. Therefore, the Client Portfolio may contain all the information deemed necessary and that allows a deeper understanding of clients and their behavior.
Finally, the company must determine both the total volume of funds allocated to the marketing system and the way in which this budget is to be distributed among the different variables. An optimal allocation of these resources requires that the cost in money of each of the commercial instruments be compared with their efficiency or performance that in terms of benefit the aforementioned commercial actions report.
1.4 Business management
Commercial management is the process of planning and executing the conception of the product, price, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy both individual and organizational objectives (AMA, 1985). This definition recognizes that management is a process of analysis, planning and control, it also considers the four instruments of the commercial strategy, which covers products, the object of study of marketing and the benefits of mutual satisfaction.
Authors like Kotler (1995) state that marketing management is the process that converts marketing plans into concrete actions and ensures that such actions are carried out in such a way that the objectives contemplated in the plan are achieved. For Gorostegui (1992), managing essentially consists of making the people of the organization fulfill their functions and obligations to achieve the desired objectives.
In summary, commercial management answers the questions of who, where, when and how, and its effective execution requires knowledge of the distribution of resources, their control and organization, as well as interaction with other groups at all levels of marketing activity.
1.5. Marketing management of university products and services.
The policy of science and technology in Cuba defines the need to implement an interactive model within the innovation process, which presupposes in the first instance the conception that science is pulled by the market, in correspondence with this it is necessary to perfect the marketing system associated with the activity, based on a marketing approach.
As a consequence, this focus on the management of the production and services of the universities means matching the research efforts of the universities with the lines of economic and social development prioritized in the field of national, branch and territorial economy. In order to fulfill the objectives of the commercial subsystem, and considering the particularities of each Higher Education Center (CES) in practical management, the offices can develop the following scheme of actions:
A. Commercial strategy of the strategic business units (UEN).
- Mission definition External analysis Market segmentation Selection of the target market. Internal analysis. Design of the product portfolio. Formulation of objectives. Formulation of strategies. Design of programs. Instrumentation and control.
Next, a brief reference will be made to each of the aforementioned aspects in accordance with the most current and commonly used bibliography.
UEN Mission. Each UEN will define its specific mission in correspondence with the general mission of the university. This definition should indicate the general objectives and policies of the UEN, but with a higher level of precision in relation to these.
External analysis. The definition of the mission contributes to clarify the knowledge needs of the environment. In general terms, the key forces of the macro environment (demographic, economic, political, sociocultural and legal) that influence current and potential university businesses, who are the most significant actors in the micro environment (especially clients), the degree must be studied. of notoriety achieved among potential clients, as well as an assessment of the level of cooperation established with other entities.
Market segmentation. Selection of the target market. Once the new market opportunities have been identified, the opportunities, needs, demands will be fragmented, evaluated separately and a target or target market for the products and services will be chosen. A market segment constitutes the part of it that responds homogeneously to marketing stimuli, because its members have similar needs and wants.
The market can be segmented according to several variables, some of which can be combined, for example, payment capacity, volume of operations, technical qualification of its workers, geographical location, sector to which they belong, etc. However, some recent publications on market research have left the traditional segmentation aside and have gone a little further, using complex statistical methods such as, for example, the methodology for the classification of homogeneous groups based on in the Chicuadrado probability distribution (CHAID) and even more recently, through the theory of Data Mining.
Once the market is segmented, the one with the greatest possibilities of assimilating the UEN's offer of products and services is selected, which will constitute a target or objective segment.
Internal analisis. The internal analysis aims to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the offices, on which it is necessary to act strategically at the organizational level to change the course of business.
For the evaluation of the internal situation in the marketing offices, the following aspects, among others, can be considered:
- Image of the UEN and the CES. Current level of market participation (regional, national, international). Image of the quality of products and services already marketed. Communication capacity with potential clients and partners (technical means). Self-financing achieved in the last three years.Current capacities for the realization of products and services (financing, personnel, equipment) at the CES.Evaluation of the level of motivation achieved by the office staff and among teachers and researchers for the production of productions. and services.
A estos aspectos se le pueden adicionar otros que estén condicionados por coyunturas particulares de la UEN o el CES. Con la información obtenida de la investigación de mercado (externo) y los resultados del análisis interno se desarrolla la interpolación de factores mediante el uso de matrices (DAFO u otra) para combinar factores y generar nuevas combinaciones alternativas.
Product portfolio design. The product portfolio is made up of groups of products or services to which the same strategy can be designed. For example, within the range of services, consulting for business management processes, including human resource management, production organization process, financial management oriented, etc. This portfolio enables and facilitates decision making in mix design and marketing.
Formulation of objectives. At the UEN level, objectives are defined oriented towards:
- Level of contribution to the finances of the CES. Growth in sales operations of productions and services. Variation in the level of participation in relation to other CES or institutions that offer these productions or services. Increase in the quality of productions
Strategy formulation. The strategies will be diverse decisions and conditioned by the characteristics of each context, but they should always be considered advantages in matters of alliances and cooperation, in terms of financing, use of personnel, etc., both for the border market and for the international market.
Formulation of programs. Once the commercial office has developed the strategies to achieve its objectives, it must define its programs to carry them out. If, for example, it has been decided to strengthen consulting services, then programs must be developed that strengthen the preparation of personnel.
The aspects on which the actions contained in the programs focus are regularly those that make up the value chain:
- Assurance Product conception and creation processes. Marketing and sales. After sales. Human resources management. Technological development. Auxiliary materials.
Instrumentation and control. The strategic decisions at the level of the UEN (more general) are implemented and materialized in the formulation of objectives of the lower level (more particular) that deploys a much more concrete and operational level of actions, for which the formulation and implementation is required of product strategies.
B. Design of the marketing plan (marketing mix)
The formulation of the product marketing plan must return to the analyzes carried out in the design of the strategy for the UEN (for a more general scope) and detailed and in-depth for each particular product. The product strategy can be developed through the following steps:
Step 1. Market Study
The main objective of this phase is to identify new market opportunities for each product or service. Market research is also very helpful in achieving this goal. There are different methodologies for conducting market studies, one of the most applied is the following sequence:
- Definition of the objectives. Preliminary analysis of the situation. Informal research. Planning and development of formal research. Define sources of information. Determination of the methods to obtain the primary data. Preparation of the questionnaires. Pretesting of the questionnaires. the sample. Data collection. Classification, tabulation and analysis of the information. Interpretation of data and preparation of recommendations. Preparation of the report. Follow-up of the study.
Step 2. Marketing objectives
Once the opportunities for the specific product have been defined, the marketing objectives for each product are drawn, which must contribute to the achievement of the strategic objectives set by the UEN, which is derived quantitatively and qualitatively from them. Based on the objectives, the specific positioning strategies for each product are drawn, taking into account the target segment. The marketing mix is designed on this basis.
Step 3. Marketing mix
The definition of the product, as well as some of its characteristics and its decisions are discussed later. The product or service is designed taking into account the attributes, which must correspond to the demand determined in the preceding market study. Decisions will be made based on the life cycle of the product, that is, if it is in the introduction, growth, maturity or decline phase.
The main particularity of the university, in terms of the products and services it offers, is its complexity and diversity. In general, the product range behaves as follows: tangible products, academic services and other services.
Tangible products are the result of an investigation process. In general, in our country these are manufactured on a very small scale in the university facilities, there is no industrial scale in the business field. These products can be found in different stages of development for their commercialization:
- Products that are already marketed. For these there is already more or less a market segment that has been worked from the commercial point of view, however, some elements of the mixture must be perfected, such as the packaging, the brand, the presentation, referring to the product itself and the distribution and the promotion. Also develop strategies to position these products in other segments, including abroad, which will be conditioned by the production possibilities, which are limited. Products that are not yet being worked on commercially. For these, a market opportunity has been identified, but they have not been commercially worked, which means that the packaging, label, brand, etc. have not yet been designed. Some of them are not even protected by patents, an essential requirement for their commercialization.Products for which no market opportunity has yet been identified. For them, a market investigation must be carried out as explained in step 1. New products. It is necessary to emphasize research that generates high added value productions, which constitutes one of the main policies of the marketing system.
The weight, content and form of university research has always been the foundation of university models.
Research funding is a determining element of the scientific and technological research management system, because as the document for the improvement of economic activity of the Ministry of Higher Education (MES) says, it is more than the search for money to research, it has an essential influence on the economic and financial management model of the MES. This also defines an internal organizational typology of science and technical units, Study Centers, scientific work groups, departmental research groups, virtual coordination entities and interface units.
Universities are obliged to consider both the strategic market and the operational market, making a correct combination between the two so that it can provoke synergies regarding fundamental research or pure scientific production and applied research that is carried out in R&D for companies that make up the business fabric of the territory where they are located. The research efforts of the universities must correspond to the lines of economic and social development prioritized in the field of the national, branch and territorial economy.
Once the essential bases of product design have been established, an economic feasibility analysis must be carried out, which should reflect on two aspects:
Viability or not of the service depending on the mission and strategy of the organization and the connotation that its results may have internally and externally at social, cultural, political, environmental, economic, etc. levels.
Specialized capacity, that is, if there are real, human and material conditions to provide a competitive product or service.
The main element of the communication mix should be constituted by personal sales since it allows for more effective, more persuasive communication for the purchase, allows rapid and timely feedback, increases knowledge between universities and the business sector, allowing progress in understanding the future needs of the company. Other variants can be used simultaneously such as: publications in scientific journals, participation in congresses and seminars, email, annual reports, scientific reports, participation in international fairs, etc.
C. Procedure for implementation and control of results
Although the creation of a commercial strategy and the design of the marketing plan are essential for the good performance of the country's university centers, so is the creation of a procedure for the implementation and control of their results. For these purposes, the literature includes some elements of interest for its formation, which are listed below.
Step 1. Possible cooperation
The fulfillment of this step consists of establishing relationships as a priority, cooperative ties with other higher education institutions in the territory, even with other ESCs outside the territory. Especially, for the preparation and realization of a service. In this step, work contacts would be established to materialize the preparation of personnel and specialized institutions and the possibility of cooperation with other non-educational institutions, mainly in the complementary services.
Step 2. Definition of personnel and schedule.
Once the service has been conceived, the material substrate and the strategically planned objectives have been established, the professional and complementary executing personnel are defined and the schedule of actions and tasks is drawn up.
The concrete action in this step is to take into account the typology of the service to be provided and the actual preparation displayed by the staff.
The preparation of the schedule is important because it guarantees compliance with the proposed objectives and also constitutes a significant contribution factor in the expected quality and therefore in the image. Negotiations with the different areas that will facilitate the personnel to carry out the service begin from the schedule.
Once this component is secured, tasks and the corresponding authority are assigned for its execution. It is essential to clarify the magnitude and scope of the delegated authority in the areas of facilitating the fulfillment of the objectives and the subsequent demand for individual responsibilities through the established mechanisms of management for objectives established in the Cuban Higher Education system.
Step 3. Negotiation and legal processing.
Here the final negotiation procedures of the contract and its legalization are programmed and executed. The final negotiation should be a preconceived act where improvisations are minimized. The act of negotiation is conditioned by the objectives of the service and the feasibility analysis carried out in previous steps.
This process is defined as a commitment to an issue that is addressed globally and that presents opportunities for the negotiating parties to achieve their objectives and is based or sustained on:
- Selection of the appropriate personnel for the negotiation, which presupposes the possibility of maximum communication for each case, mastery of the negotiation tactics and the other basic aspects that are related below. Deep knowledge of all the details and objectives set for the service to be negotiated. Mastery of the receiver's needs and expectations. Knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages in the face of competition, as well as the arguments to overcome this competition. Knowledge of possible objections and the budgets to handle them.
The legal processing of the service must guarantee the seriousness and interests of the parties, as well as sections of the contract that specify the scope of the actions of each party and the measures to be taken to safeguard the interests of the parties in case of contravention by one of the parties. they. Experience indicates three recommended actions:
1. You must not start the service before signing the contract.
2. Contracts must be signed establishing staggered payments in the course of the service, never at the end.
3. All contracts must include clauses specifying penalties for non-compliance or late payment in the obligations contracted by both parties.
Step 4. Coordination of peripheral services.
Work contracts will be organized and established with the different internal and external areas of the ESC to guarantee punctuality and seriousness in fulfilling the commitments. Cooperative logistics can lessen financial drawbacks and increase the chances of service success.
Step 5. Provision and exploration of new opportunities.
At the beginning of the practical execution of the service, the commercial office must be linked to the execution of the business and practice an itinerant management of control.
Another aspect is to define the possibilities in the receivers of new expectations or new negotiable demands that arose after the formalization of the service and that if not attended with agility cause the loss of income opportunities or achieve greater impact of quality in the customers.
Step 6. Evaluation with the client.
This moment in the cycle constitutes the last contact with the client and the most important for the subsequent reproduction of the business. For these purposes, forms of direct feedback with customers must be foreseen and executed, based on the comparison between the expected or received service or product.
Step 7. Balance of results and objective assessment.
This step establishes the moment to balance the organization's performance in service provision based on the results of the control mechanism. In each particular case, compliance will be assessed on the basis of planned objectives and strategic corrections made, compliance with the schedule and individual performance.
Step 8. Conclusions and incentive to staff.
Based on the results obtained, the areas and staff should be stimulated based on the incentive mechanisms established for each case. This stage must be programmed and it is advisable to ensure compliance, since there is a tendency for the staff to disaggregate and the incentive to lose its motivating character.
It is important to bear in mind that the control process must vary, and make the same on the income obtained as a fundamental element, directly control the marketing of products and services, working to achieve quality standards of excellence.
Carrying out this whole process involves carrying out different steps such as:
Internal diagnosis.
Market study:
- Study of final consumers Study of industrial consumers Technological diagnosis of companies
Definition of the lines of research.
Identification of possible sources of financing.
Project formulation and evaluation process.
Project execution.
Final report to financier and client.
Incorporation of the product into the commercial portfolio of the technology transfer and management offices.
Final evaluation.
In general, the month's marketing system is made up of each and every one of the aspects mentioned above in section C and is based on the theoretical aspects mentioned above. Needless to say, each of the ESCs or another institution of the month has its very specific characteristics, therefore, the application of these concepts and the methodology itself will vary depending on the needs and conditions of the entity in question.
Bibliographic references
This nomenclature comes from the English words product, price, place, promotion
According to Kotler (1995) The mix of products or product portfolio of a company includes all the products it offers and can be made up of one or more product lines
View site on the Internet http://www.estadistico.com This site constantly publishes information on the applications of these methodologies in market research, especially for market segmentation. Additionally, in the SPSS operating manual, an example of how to market segmentation from multivariate statistical methods appears for the illustration of the CLUSTER methodology.
Specific market where the marketing office could carry out actions enjoying competitive advantages.
This aspect today has a solution through special software dedicated solely and exclusively to market research, but there are also others such as SPSS / PC and CHAID that solve these problems.
It should be noted in this regard that there are some ideas to create industrial productions but in some things well determined, such as the fluxes of the welding group.
Bibliography Consulted
Stanton, WJ (1969). "Fundamentals of Marketing". Castle editions. Madrid.
Kotler, Phillip (1995). "Marketing direction. Analysis, planning, management and control ”. Volume I. and II.
Vazques Casielles, R and Trespalacios, JA (1994). Marketing: Strategies and sectoral applications. Ediciones Civitas SA Madrid.
Webster, FE (1977). Marketing Course. Harla. Mexico.
Ferrer, A (1969). "The new advertising technique". National Institute of Advertising. Madrid.
Spitz, AE. (1975). "Product planning and development". Deuse. Bilbao.
Naylor, JH and Vernon, J (1973). "Business Economics". Amorrortu. Buenos Aires.
Hernández Millan, R. (1998). "Logistics of commercial distribution, a systemic approach". Applied Logistics Magazine, No 4.
Bueno, E; Cruz, Roche; Durán, JJ. (1989). "Business Economics. Analysis of business decisions ”. Ediciones Pirámides SA.
Castillo Vargas, Julieta (2002). "Market analysis".
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