Abstract
This article adapts the marketing framework of product, price, place, and promotion to the design and management of speech communication programs. It begins with situational analysis, linking audience analysis and needs assessment to a systematic review of markets, student consumers, and competitors. It then proposes a research strategy to generate local evidence, a marketing mix to align offerings with student needs, a process strategy to embed marketing in departmental planning, and evaluation procedures to assess outcomes. Product receives primary emphasis, with attention to instructional quality in the basic course, cocurricular activities, services, and facilities, alongside decisions about addition, modification, and elimination of offerings. Price is conceptualized as student investments of time and money, motivating flexible formats beyond the traditional semester schedule. Place refers to instructional location and learning environments that confer legitimacy and access. Promotion comprises advertising, publicity, personal contact, incentives, and atmospherics, coordinated to inform and motivate students while supporting retention. The argument positions marketing as a student centered exchange of value that, when executed deliberately, sustains program quality and institutional viability
Recommended Citation
Engleberg, Isa N.
(1986)
"Marketing’s Four P’s in Speech Communication,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 58, Article 27.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol58/iss1/27
