5.7 Bringing It Together: The Marketing Mix Playbook

Your marketing strategy answers two big questions:

1. Who are we targeting?

2. What’s our Marketing Mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion + Social Media) to win with that target?

Your marketing plan takes that strategy and adds the following components:

• A timeline (when things will happen)

• A budget (what you’ll invest and where)

• Performance metrics (how you’ll measure success)

Seasoned pros know the 4 Ps (and social media) don’t live in separate silos.

• Product should deliver on the brand promise and competitive angle.

• Price must align with perceived value and positioning.

• Place (distribution) should reflect how your audience wants to buy.

• Promotion needs to communicate benefits and emotions that matter to customers.

• Socal media and influencers should amplify your message and engage your community.

When the pieces fit together, the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Allbirds, the sustainable footwear brand, built its entire marketing mix around simplicity, sustainability, and comfort:

• Product: Eco-friendly materials and minimalist design

• Price: Premium, but justified by quality and sustainability

• Place: Direct-to-consumer with select retail stores that reflect the brand’s values

• Promotion: Storytelling about sustainability and comfort, not flashy ads

• Socal media: Community-building with environmentally conscious consumers

What was the outcome? A loyal customer base and a billion-dollar brand—not because of any single P, but because all the Ps pointed in the same direction.

Bringing a marketing mix to life means more than just selecting tactics—it’s about aligning them with a timeline, allocating budget wisely, and tracking the right performance metrics. Few brands have mastered this as brilliantly as Spotify with its annual Wrapped campaign.

When Spotify launched its first Spotify Wrapped campaign in 2016, it wasn’t just a fun idea. It was a carefully planned initiative with the following components:

• A clear timeline: Launch every December, timed perfectly for end-of-year nostalgia and peak social media sharing.

• A thought-out budget allocation: Rather than heavy ad spending, Spotify invested in data visualization, app development, and influencer partnerships. Wrapped’s viral design reduced the need for expensive media buys.

• Performance metrics that mattered: Spotify tracked not just app engagement and social shares, but also new account sign-ups and retention rates in January and February—a period when streaming services often lose customers after holiday promotions expire.

What did Spotify Wrapped actually do?

Win After Win After Win

Spotify Wrapped wasn’t just a data report. It tapped into people’s desire:

• To express identity (“I’m the biggest Beyoncé fan.”)

• To join cultural conversations (“What were your top songs this year?”)

• To feel rewarded for their listening loyalty