Shaping The Market Offerings
At the heart of the marketing program is the product the firm's tangible offering to the market, which includes the product quality, design features, and packaging. As part of its product offering, Atlas may provide various services, such as leasing, delivery, repair, and training. Such support services can provide a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

A critical marketing decision relates to price. Atlas has to decide on wholesale and retail prices, discounts, allowances, and credit terms. Its price should be commensurate with the offer's perceived value; otherwise, buyers will turn to competitors' products.

Delivering Value
Atlas must also determine how to properly deliver the value embodied by these products and services to the target market. Channel activities include the various activities the company undertakes to make the product accessible and available to target customers. Atlas must identify, recruit, and link various marketing facilitators to supply its products and services efficiently to the target market. It must understand the various types of retailers, wholesalers, and physical-distribution firms and how they make their decisions.

Communicating Value
Atlas must also adequately communicate the value embodied by its products and services to the target market. Marketing communications activities are the means by which firms attempt to inform, persuade, and remind consumers directly or indirectly-about the brands they sell. Atlas has to develop an integrated marketing communication program that maximizes the individual and collective contribution of all communication activities. Atlas has to set up mass communication programs consisting of advertising, sales promotion, events, and public relations. It also has to set up more personal communications in the form of direct and interactive marketing and must also hire, train, and motivate salespeople.

Creating Long-Term Growth
Atlas must also take a long-term view of its products and brands and how its profits should be grown. Based on its product positioning, it must initiate new-product development, testing, and launching. The strategy also will have to take into account changing global opportunities and challenges.
Finally, Atlas must organize its marketing resources and implement and control the marketing plan. The company must build a marketing organization that is capable of implementing the marketing plan. Because of surprises and disappointments that can occur as marketing plans are implemented, Atlas will need feedback and control.
37 Marketing evaluation and control processes are necessary to understand the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing activities and how both could be improved.