4C model

The 4C model is a marketing model that focuses on the combination between the organization and its customer. This model focuses on formulating a marketing mix of the organization but specifically from the point of view of the customer. This distinguishes it from the traditional marketing mix (consisting of the 4 Ps) where the focus is on the product or organization. The 4C model can be seen as a customer-centric marketing approach and has a less one-sided approach than the 4 Ps. The 4C model is often seen as an alternative to the 4P model. The model is excellent to use when formulating a company's marketing strategy. After all, the formulated 4Cs can serve as the basis for creating an implementation or action plan. The model invites customer-oriented thinking that looks beyond the offer itself. The focus is thus on the overall picture.

The 4C model consists of the following focal points:

- Customer solution. The focus is on what problem/need of the target group is being solved. The focus is not on the organization but on the customer's needs. In this way a solution is sold and not a product.

- Communication (communication). Here the focus is on how to communicate with the customer. The term "promotion" is deliberately not used here because these are often forms of push marketing. In the case of communication, there is a dialogue (read: two-way traffic) between the organization and the target group in which a personal approach is sought instead of mass communication.

- Convenience (customer convenience). This involves addressing the customer's need to be able to access a product or service as easily as possible at places and times that are most convenient for them. This is a distinctive value since many customers nowadays drop out if they have to put in a little more effort to take advantage of an offer. This point is also thought of from the consumer's point of view.

- Cost to Consumer. Here we look not only at the purchase price (read: the price tag) of the product but also at other costs a consumer has to incur to be able to purchase the product. In other words, it looks at the total costs. These include travel and parking costs, but also any maintenance costs of the product. All of these factors are part of the pricing strategy provided the consumer's point of view is considered.