"The Marketing Mix" consisted of four P's back in my college days - product, price, promotion and place. With the onslaught of the digital revolution and the rapid growth and quick pace of all disciplines (marketing included), we've seen the four P's grow all the way to seven or sometimes even eight - (four primary + process, people, physical evidence and performance).
I'm changing the game with this blog post by adding a ninth P! Yes, you heard it here first! The ninth P of the marketing mix is "permanence" as it is defined as "the state or quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely." You may ask why am I officially adding this P of marketing? Well, let me just tell you.
Earlier this week, my lovely wife made some killer chicken tacos in the instant pot (shredded chicken mixed with tomatoes, peppers, etc.). As is often the case when doing home taco night, the store bought hard shells were about as durable as Glass Joe's jaw. If you touched the shells with anything more than a gentle caress, they would break into pieces. It was impossible to add the chicken, cheese, lettuce, avocado, salsa and sour cream without the shell shattering. The solution, therefore, was to wrap the hard, crunchy shells inside a warm soft tortilla in order to keep it all together. This combination of crunchy and soft is called a "double decker" and it leads me to the ninth P of marketing.
As long as I walk God's green Earth, I'll never consume a double decker without thinking of Taco Bell, Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. Shaq and Hakeem helped Taco Bell usher in the double decker nearly 25 years ago, back in 1995. It was the perfect ad campaign. Shaq was the most physically dominant player to ever enter the NBA. He used his rugged brute strength to play a hard physical brand of basketball. He tore down backboards and imposed his will on his opponents. Hakeem, on the other hand, was a physically strong player too, but he possessed deft touch and the best footwork on the planet. His game was a bit softer utilizing finesse and dazzling moves to conquer his foes. A double decker taco was akin to combining the brute crunch of Shaq and the soft skills of Hakeem.
That ad campaign resonates with me 24 years later, and it's the reason Taco Bell nailed permanence in my opinion. Some marketing efforts blow through time and are forgotten like tumbleweeds. Others achieve the ninth P and never go away. They last and remain unchanged indefinitely etched in memory banks. Check out these YouTube videos. Entertaining stuff!
Double Decker Introduction
With Spike Lee added
Four Alarm Double Decker
