Syllabus: International Baccalaureate - Individuals and Societies - Business management (Higher Level)
Module: Unit 4: Marketing
Lesson: 4.5 The Seven Ps of the Marketing Mix
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Introduction
This article focuses on IB Business Management HL – Unit 4: Marketing – 4.5 The Seven Ps of the Marketing Mix, a core topic in the Individuals and Societies pathway. The marketing mix extends beyond the original 4 Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) to include People, Process, and Physical Evidence. Understanding these interlinked elements equips students to analyse and apply integrated marketing strategies in dynamic business contexts.
As outlined in the IB Diploma Programme, this unit fosters commercial awareness, analytical thinking, and real-world application – all core outcomes aligned with Enterprise Skills’ framework for workplace readiness.
Key Concepts
Students should develop a thorough understanding of the following concepts:
Product: Design, features, branding, and lifecycle considerations.
Price: Strategies such as penetration pricing, price skimming, psychological pricing, and dynamic pricing.
Place: Channels of distribution, multi-channel retailing, and e-commerce considerations.
Promotion: Above-the-line and below-the-line promotion, the promotional mix, and digital marketing strategies.
People: The role of employees in customer experience and brand delivery.
Process: Systems and procedures that deliver the product or service to the customer.
Physical Evidence: Tangible cues that influence customer perceptions (e.g. website design, premises layout, packaging).
The IB syllabus requires students to explore how businesses blend these elements to target specific markets effectively and adapt their strategy over time.
Real-World Relevance
The Seven Ps are visible across sectors. For example:
Apple exemplifies integration of all 7 Ps: high-end product design, premium pricing, sleek physical environments, and consistent customer service protocols.
Greggs, a UK bakery chain, successfully realigned its marketing mix during its transition to a healthier, more inclusive brand. Their promotion strategy includes social media engagement, while process improvements like click-and-collect enhanced customer convenience.
In the public sector, the NHS uses a tailored service mix where “people” and “process” are critical to service delivery quality.
These examples can be discussed to illustrate how strategy must flex to fit product type, market segment, and delivery model.
How It’s Assessed
Assessment in IB Business Management HL typically includes:
Paper 1: Case study with data-response questions. Students might be asked to evaluate a company’s marketing mix or suggest changes based on evolving market data.
Paper 2: Structured and extended response questions, often requiring comparative analysis of 7 Ps strategies across different businesses or scenarios.
Internal Assessment: Investigation project where students analyse a real business issue, often involving elements of the marketing mix.
Key command terms used include: evaluate, analyse, recommend, and explain – all of which require critical thinking and structured responses backed by evidence.
Enterprise Skills Integration
This unit aligns directly with the following Enterprise Skills themes:
Commercial Awareness: Students explore how businesses create value and sustain competitiveness by optimising the marketing mix.
Decision-Making & Problem-Solving: The 7 Ps require strategic trade-offs. Students must evaluate data, assess risk, and justify marketing decisions – key elements assessed in IB exams and developed in our business simulations.
Cross-Curricular Application: Links to psychology (consumer behaviour), IT (e-commerce and digital marketing), and design (physical evidence and branding) build interdisciplinary thinking.
Enterprise Skills’ simulations allow students to test these skills by adjusting a virtual business’s marketing mix and seeing real-time outcomes, creating a feedback loop between theory and practice.
Careers Links
The 7 Ps underpin marketing and business roles across sectors, supporting Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6:
Benchmark 4: Teachers connect curriculum learning to careers by exploring how each element of the marketing mix relates to professional roles (e.g. pricing analysts, UX designers, retail managers).
Benchmark 5: Industry case studies and guest speakers from employer partners bring the content to life with real-world application.
Benchmark 6: Simulation tools simulate workplace decision-making, helping students experience the commercial consequences of their marketing choices.
Career pathways linked to this topic include:
Marketing Manager
Product Development Lead
Customer Experience Designer
Sales Strategist
Digital Marketer
Brand Consultant
Teaching Notes
Recommended Activities:
Use Enterprise Skills’ marketing mix tool to simulate real-world pricing and promotion decisions.
Ask students to map the 7 Ps for a chosen brand, then redesign them for a new market segment.
Include role-play: students pitch revised marketing strategies to a mock board or investor group.
Common Pitfalls:
Overlapping the Ps (e.g. confusing people with process)
Treating the 7 Ps as isolated elements rather than an integrated strategy
Focusing too heavily on consumer goods and ignoring services or public sector examples
Extension Tasks:
Compare marketing mixes across cultures or industries (e.g. budget airlines vs luxury hotels)
Evaluate how the rise of e-commerce reshapes traditional Ps like “Place” and “Promotion”
Assessment Insight:
Train students to use real data and structured argument when answering extended response questions.
Reinforce correct application of command terms – particularly when evaluating marketing strategy.
