Studying Marketing Environment Spotting the Opportunities and Threat s In environment analysis, a firm pathe filters it, analyses itin detail and pains ty ‘and threats in the environment ard ‘Actually, the noted events and trends, ‘The firm analyses both the mega/macro envi ee {elevant information from the environment, npoing insights. The analysis spots the opportunities, wpoints the ones that are specifically relevant tothe frm: terpreted as opportunities or threats subsequently. as well as the environment that is specific a1tebon it studies the technological, sociocultural, al environments, In the latter, it studies the consumers studies the industry and competition. to the business concerned. In the formes demographic, economic, political and leg and factors relating to demand, It also st Developing the Opportunity-Threat Profile After providing a general indication shortlists those opportunities the ae esheets eae its current performance and the growth sine Rae ets sim fil the gap between opportunities the pursuit of which will help the fing avain ie obioctwen The fn ae out the threats ae well. Just as it needs vo tap the opportunites present in the environment, it needs 0 counter the cheats embedded therein. Exercising judgment, ee ener and trends in the environment have to be interpreted as opportunities or threats. It also assesses the scope and attractiveness of the various opportunites. This activity culminates inthe development of an opportunity-threat (O-T) profile that sums up all relevant information about the opportunities and threats. “Components of Environment to Be Analysed For a business firm, the environment carries two main parts: 1, The mega/macro environment 2. The environment that is specific to the business the firm is engaged in The firm covers both these parts in its environment study. Chart 2.2 presents a complete checklist of all the components of environment that need to be covered in environment analysis. Let us discuss these components in detail. |Mega/Macro Environment Te will be clear from Chart 2.2 that under mega/macro environment, several components 0 be analysed. The order or sequence we have assigned to the in a way, their relative importance in the contemporary, the prime element of the macro environment. So it of environment need t ‘components in the analysis reflects, context. Technology has today become is taken up first. Technology Environment In the present times, technology enviro study for three reasons: 1. Rapid change has bee! 2, Something new is coming up al 3, Breakthroughs are happening in severa nment forms the most crucial part of environment in taking place in technolog} II the time on the technology front. spheres of technology.80 MARKETING MANAGEMENT Kg acini ieee Tae We Kat Nas Pai seubueed ing the fortunes of businesses and lives of gy leads to many new products. Then, it ‘ocessing, communication and ‘The resulting developments are hugely impacti people. First, in the business sphere, technolo, Impacts the production processes, logistics, information pr. spin of the businesses. Its customer segments too are impacted by technological developments. In the individual’s life, entertainment, music, education, healthcare, living cewfok, communication, all have been greatly impacted by technology. In addition, ‘ologies plus fusions/convergences of different technologies some altogether new techni have also been emerging. Exhibit 2.2 explains how mobile apps are continuously evolving to new heights. Technology Selection In its effort at technology selection, with a three-part approach: 1. Overall technology environment 2, Options available in technology in its business 3. Government's policies/approaches in respect of technology It is possible that in an industry several technologies are floating simultaneously. Firms have to scan the technology environment and select technologies that will be appropriate for them and the given product-market situation. They have to forecast technological trends, assess current and emerging technologies and develop the inputs for right technology choices. Regulations by the government in matters relating to technology often restrict the freedom of operation of business firms. There may be areas where the government may ‘support the use of modern technology, and there may be other areas where it may ban specific technologies that are potentially unsafe. All such factors demand careful the firm has to analyse the technology environment investigation. Breakthroughs in Technology Need to be Watched Information, communication and entertainment are spheres in which technology has brought forth major and highly visible breakthroughs in recent years. However, the point to be noted here is that the technologies and devices in these fields get outdated rapidly and new ones keep replacing them, As a sample, we shall pick for detailed discussion one major development on the technology front—the mobile becoming the technologyin software apps: oa ing the gore, AS a ffhoot ofthe Emre rc son in software apps “dozen a minute? Today, apps are being released seross the Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Winlor, ator-owned app stores will stan ‘out as a marketing differentiator and will bone data usage, increasing non-voice revenues, For _software developers, apps are an important source “of revenue from both app stores and in-ape advertisements. For mobile users, apps make “easier f0 access entestainment/information through fewer clicks than was previously poss. ble, and at a lower cost. | Moreover, apps designed for lower-end feature _ phones convert them into smartphones. Apps make data-enabled services easier to use. “Many users might not use the basic mobile Studying Marketing Exvironment 64 Internet. They use apps as these render using data fon devices extremely easy. That translates into increased data usage. ‘Apps have become a derivative as well asa user of Internet of Things (oT). Smartphones play a central role in IoT and connected sensors. For ‘example, ShotTracker uses wearable technology t0 track people in action, such as sports, and prepare Performance profiles, and provides insights into Player strengths and weaknesses. Healtheare apps have also become a critical part of loT cases in several critical areas of ‘medicine. Augmented reality and virtual reality are being showcased as ‘soon to be realities’ Google's payment app goes live: Tech giant Google has unveiled its payment app Tez as it seeks to cash in on the growing digital payment segment in India. Google had completed the est ing of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI; allows money transfers from one bank to another using 4 virtual address) service in July 2017 and was awaiting the RBI's approval to begin service in the country. Tech majors such as WhatsApp and Facebook are also engaged in dialogue with the ‘government to begin service on their platforms. platform for many a service. Exhibit 2.3 explains how the mobile has become the technology platform for several services. Breakthroughs in technology foster a new type of competition: In Chapter 6, we shall see how the breakthroughs in technologies have been fostering an altogether new type of competition in several fields. Artificial intelligence: AI is the most recent and the most powerful of all the technology breakthroughs. Al can make an impact on humanity the way electricity has done; it can be highly beneficial to the human society. Al can lead to a low cost and better quality life for millions of people. A work which could not have been done earlier by a team of thousand ‘engineers can now be done by a small team with the help of Al. The downside is that Al will be in direct competition with a lot of people as it will threaten their jobs. One of the features of Al is automation and that can completely transform the job situation, Economic Environment ‘All business firms heavily depend on the economic environment in which they operate. The factors that need to be analysed under economic environment are listed in Chart 2.3.yeMENT Exhibit 2.3 jatform for Several Services ‘52. MARKETING MANAG! g Insight Marketin Technology Pl Mobile Becomes the well: in In mor Mobile rules social networki ing, 100 has. gone | network ile + media’ forms Today, for many peo M2 recent times, social 1 the most seductive COPS rvs Hi mobile. With the rising atoraby of smart if ing t the smartpho ile becomes the platform of av phones, we can anticipate that te phone Moi far us a voice exchange deve, mobile Pe arion will really take off, and within the next 5 a sorome a platform for infOFM2 coupe of years, the majority of phones will be that combine real-time data, ‘mobile computers? phones have m social networks and tion and entert TV on the move is one since live TV on highly empowering and enter- rainments lion Facebook users, eample, Ie is already a few years catile became a reality. People are omtorably oe ic 450 mobile ber and movies on demand while? fons of Titer uses ee Pe irernational innovations (Google real-time search Mobile becomes the platform for Internet acces: is one ‘example) that combine realtime data and ean Stanley report on social networking, We att ‘going to see an explo- ‘And mobile is going ‘According to a recent Mor ‘he mobile Internet, a low penetration of landline sion in real-time information. to be the platform. telephones and an already vibrant mobile value- ldded services space will mean that in emerging, markets (including. China and India), Internet ecess will be greater through mobile phones than ‘other modes for individuals and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “Mobile search traffic has increased by leaps and pounds in recent years. There has been a shift from computers to mobiles. Google claimed that their mobile-search traffic has increased five times in the past wo years. In India today, the number of people who own a mobile phone (650 million) is {3 times the number of people who own a com puter (50 million). The share of mobile phones in Tntemet search will only increase. The challenge is to make it easier for people ro run a search on a mobile, Search engines have been adapting to chis need, Google, for instance, has built a tool called ‘transcode’, which reduces the time to load a page ‘on a phone's browser. Companies have also intro- duced voice search for mobile users. Sociocultural Environment commerce’ and ‘Pay by Mobile Banking, Mobi Banking and telecom technologies have combined to make mass mobile banking a reality. Today, mobile phones are profusely used for money transfer, in paricular. Mobile phone has also been playing 2 key ole in commerce, creating an ‘M-commerce’ seg- ment within e-commerce. Globally, mobile phones tre poised t0 replace cash and plastic as payment modes. ‘Maps on mobiles: In many parts of the world, including India, people on the move have been using for quite some time now GPS mapping services—downloadable on the mobile phone—to find their way and locate specific places. These maps can also be improved by smartphones acting, as sensors. Sociocultural environment is another important component of the mi Culture, social clas, traditions, beliefs, values and lifestyle of the persist farsiren oéciery Constitite the sociocultural environment. The elements under them determine, co a lar y extent, what the people will consume and how they will buy. si z Sociocultural environment has three main parts: 1. Culture 2. Subculture 3. Social classStudying Marketing Environment 63 Cau he ECONOMIC EN rei tert Li ure/Subculture: Culture i Sema and upbringing. In ae combined result of factors such as religion, language, ar ge easly andre cera S28, some cultural values are deep-rooted; they do n ‘med core cultural values. There are also values and practices, they are more amenable to change and can be Pe hai : more easily. Meaningful information on the peepee . bits, lifesry les and buying behaviour of the eble can be baie iroligh a survey of their sociocultural environment. Cultural shifts carry with them marketing opportunities as well as threats. Therefore, cl Pees ae fore, close monitoring of the cultural environment Social class: Social class is another important concept in the soci i Aaya cored of eee en ta le ‘occupation, location of residence and so on of its members. Each class has its own standards with respect to lifestyle, behaviour and the like; they are known as class values or class norms. These values/norms have a strong bearing on the consumption pattern and. buying behaviour of the members of the class. Shifts in class values do take place over time owing to several factors. And the study of sociocultural aspects should include such shifts as well. We will discuss sociocultural factors in greater detail in the chapters on consumer behaviour, Indian consumer and market segmentation (Chapters 8, 9 and 10, respectively). A reference to these chapters would strengthen the understanding of culture and social class. Political Environment Political environment too is a major component of the mega environment. In fact, economic environment is often a by-product of the political environment, since economic policies of nations depend on their political setup. Developments on the political front keep affecting, the economy all the time. Industrial growth depends to a great extent on the prevailing, ‘political climate, as legislations regulating businesses are also often a product of the political configuration. Political environment has several aspects. The form of government adopted by the ‘country is the first. Political stability is another, because whatever be the government form adopted, stability of government is an essential requisite of economic growth. Elements ‘such as the economic and social orientation of the main political parties; nature andMARKETING MANAGEMENT strength of religious, cultural and social organisations; role of media; and the influ, pressure groups/lobbies of various kinds are all parts of the political environment. lence of Legal Environment/Business Legislation Businesses have to operate within the framework of the prevailing legal environment, Tq, have to understand the implications of all the legal provisions relating to their business, 'j2 recent times, the world over, legislations regulating businesses have been steadily increasing” And jt is particularly true for India. Over the past four or five decades, a great deal of legislation concerning business and industry has entered the statute books. Though a reversa) of this trend has commenced with reforms and liberalisation, business firms operating in India are still required to grapple with a heavy load of legislation. Based on the subject covered, business legislation can be classified into the following broad categories: Corporate affairs © Tax laws '* Competition (corporate protection) * Consumer protection * Employee protection/labour legislation = Sectoral protection + Environmental protection ‘+ Regulations on products, packaging and prices * Regulations on distribution and trade practices * Protecting national firms against the onslaught of foreign firms The Regulatory Environment Most countries have created many regulatory bodies. Their operations are administrative rather than judicial. They have the backing of legislations. In India, SEBI, Competition Commission, IRDA, Telecom Commission and TRAI are some examples of regulatory bodies. Even central banks (the RBI in India) are essentially regulators. Governments have resorted to regulatory instruments wherever direct control of the business environment and the operations of individual players are neither feasible nor desirable. A business firm must hhave the required knowledge about the overall regulatory environment and the one that applies specifically to the business/industry in which the firm is engaged. Legal and regulatory environment often impacts capital movement. Today completely globalised and there are competing demands on it, whichever corner of the world it may be coming from. Usually, capital is happy to get into countries with a legal and regulatory environment that facilitates smooth business functioning. Legal and regulatory environment is a determinant of competitiveness of countries as well as individual business firms operating therein. ital is Demographic/Consumer Environment Since business depends on people/consumers, it is obvious that demographics is a major clement to be studied in environment analysis. As a matter of fact, several factors relating to the population, such as size, growth rate, age distribution, religious composition and literacy levels, need to be studied. In addition, aspects such as composition of workforce, household patterns, regional characteristics, population shifts and so on also need to be studied, as they are all important parts of the demographic environment. To illustrate, if a ‘company analyses the demographic environment of India, some of the highlights of that analysis would be like this: India, with a population of over 1.2 billion, is the second largest marker in the world, next only to China. India is poised to overtake China in populationhe distinet ‘and reach tl On of being the fing atthe rate ofS per cent se !PHE5¢ man ts, The nation’s literacy rate, ghey att The igclose t0 70 per cent. It was jgt 18h stil low, of educated/skilled manpower. =!” Pet cent in Demographic and consumer ¢ ‘Studying Marketing Evironment 66 Ket in the world, India's population is Average life expectancy is now over 65 has been steadily growing. Currently, it ie country now has a large pool ero “tony ary Inegely « Pe of the demographic environ titertwined: Consumer envitonment 1 discussing the demogra er Ere ire devoting an entire chapter for Inaddltion, we are discussing som Tee as 1¢ Indian consumer (Chapter 9), ‘under the section on Spects of the runes (Chaptee snvironment specif pang coNUMEE environment inthis chapter © the firm, Government Policies pact the specific envi mment of the vironment of the given policies, credit policies, forei ce rl Policies, taxation policies, monetary mega environment, and all industree sais 3 culations of cena tyes influence the cover specific industries and businesses such Sateen eee the concerned industry/business ss the section ‘Environment that is Spec Natural Environment Mega-environment analysis muse inch lide aspects. such as endowm natural Tesouress inthe country, ecology, climate and the ike, ns” *% Cndowment of narura to know the trends BC cerned about energy, its cern to any business firm. Ecology: Firms are also concerned with ecology. In modern times, all societies are very foncerned about ecology, especially about issues such as environmental pollurion, protection of wildlife and ocean wealth. And gove rmments are becoming active bargainers in environmental issues. Business firms will have to know the nature and dimensions of environmental regulations and to what extent these factors will affect their business prospects. They also need to know overning their costs. Besides raw materials, the firms are also con availability and cost. Escalation in energy cost is of particular con: the role of environmental activists in the region. Climate: Climate is another aspect of the natural environment that is of concern to a business firm. Firms with products whose demand depends on the climate and firms depending on climate-dependent raw materials will be particularly concerned with this factor. These firms have to study the climate in depth and decide their production locations and marketing territories appropriately. Green Marketing and Green Economy in Chapter 1. Green marketing and concern ‘We made a mention about green marketing in Chapte MUM iesoarscntal agpeces are related. Today, rided and taoreleGaitaneae egIe ‘concern about the environment and expect firms to practise green marketing. Consumers who have higher purchasing power and who go for higher-end products are willing to_ “~ 56 MARKETING MANAGEMENT Patronise greener products even if they have to pa seem to be willing to patronise greener products pr is expect companies to reduce their adverse impact on the environment. This is the expects, of the general public as well. The point is that in the future, companies cannot go sole, their growth compulsions irrespective of the cost to the environment. As soci become more concerned with the environment, businesses have also begun to modify j..° a higher price. And most consuym, ded the price is right. All consi behaviour and strategies in an environment-positive manner. Minding Planet Earth and Attending to Environmental Issues Global warming, also referred to as climate change, is an acute problem planet Earth hy, been facing for years now. India contributes to and shares the ill effects ofthis phenomena. With India, one major problem in this regard isthe emissions out of fossil fuel consumpr,n by the automobiles on the roads. The latest study by Yale University has labelled India . one of the worst in air purity in the world, giving it the rank of 178 out of 180 countrie The government has taken the initiative that is expected on their part. The corporate, are now getting into action and make common cause with society, government an, consumers (car users). Exhibit 2.4 presents the detail Environment that is Specific to the Firm a We have discussed at length the various components of the mega environment that need to be studied as part of environment analysis. Now, let us turn to environmental componens, that are specific to the business concerned. The Market/Demand The market/demand is the first element to be studied here. All entrepreneurial decisions — entry into the industry, expansions, divestment, decisions on marketing strategy and the Jike—will need information pertaining to demand. Luckily, demand is an area where data support is relatively easy to gather through the processes of marketing research, demand measurement and sales forecasting. These processes are elaborated in Chapter 24 The aspects to be studied here include: Nature of the demand Size of the demand, present and potential Buying habits of major segments Changes taking place in demand Invasion of substitute products Pattern of consumption and changes taking place in it These details account, incidentally, for the ‘attractiveness of the industry’, a concept we shall handle in detail in Chapter 6. The Consumer Any business prospers by tapping the opportunities in the environment. The opportunities essentially represent the requirements felt by consumers. Thus, study of the consumers and their requirements becomes the prime task of any business. Discern consumers’ requirements first: In Chapter 1, we saw that ‘the consumer decides what value is; the firm’s job is to deliver it’ and that a successful business strategy involves designing products and marketing programmes that incorporate attributes which provide value to consumers as per their perception. How does a firm/marketer find out whichMarketing Insight Embracing Electric Mobility According to 0 UBS Glob Bloomberg, almost every yaa suey ied by world willbe eerie by 2025, By the midlet next decade, global sales of electric vehicle tn should hit 16. million. EVs will maken eM!) cent of all car sales by then, Pee ss EVs finding favour in India is an indies commitment by the government and pants country towards fighting environmencl gaia ‘The government takes the | ernment has taken the le announced that it w. i In India, the gov- ay the gov Ey in this regard, Ir has trys road 10 be cltre bY Roane co strates that the government has a vision in thi end and a determined to push the EVs. The jovernment has also set an example through ite ‘own purchase action, 2 ae ‘Manufacturers seize the opportunity yortunity in EV space: Quite afew automobile fms inthe county have created the capability for making EVs. The Include Tata Motors, M&M, Nissan and Toyota joint venture. Tata Motors rolls out Tigor EVs for the central government: The government entity Energy Efficiency Services Limited (ESL) has awarded a contract to Tata Motors for supplying 10,000 EVs for use by government departments. By mid- December 2017, Tata Motors rolled out the first batch of Tigor EVs from its Gujarat plant. These clectric cars will replace the petrol and diesel cars Studying Markating Environment 87 (eiit 24 ) used by government and its agencies over a three- four-year period, Toyota-Suzuki venture: Toyota and Suzuki have Programmed to come up with EVs in India by 2020, Toyota will provide technical know-how for the project, while Suzuki will manufacture the vehicles for the Indian market and also supply some to Toyota Mahindra Electric: Mahindra Electric has already made good progress in EVs. It has its devoted EV brand for India, the Mahindra Mark. Ie offers the e2oPlus hatchback at a cost of 20.757 million (esti- mated) and the eVerito from %0.950 million (esti- cd). M&M, as Ford’s Indian partner, could ceate their own electric car line. It may extend tie-up to make EVs for India. Mahindra and Uber join hands to deploy EV: M&M is also collaborating with Uber, the global ‘transportation-technology company and aggrega tor, to explore the possibility of bringing in EVs on the Uber platform in several cities across India. Uber is already established in ride sharing business in India (la also jumps on electric cars: Mahindra also has fa partnership with Ola in which the ride-hailing company has agreed to procure 40,000 vehicles, including electric variants. Excessive euphoria is misplaced: Electric mobility is, no doubt, a visionary idea. And India needs it But switching from conventional automobiles to clectric cars is not going to be a smooth or fast affair for India, There are issues to be attended to. The economics: That electric cars signify a favour- able impact on the environment needs no empha- sis, Also, moder electric cars do amount to great sensory delight to those who drive them. The eco- nomics of it is the issue to be mastered. The expen sive component of such a car is its battery. The ‘economics of charging infrastructure and the price to consumer also have to be factored in. attributes provide value to the consumers? It can get relevant clues only through a thorough consumer analysis. In fact, details about the consumers are required for proceeding with the various marketing management tasks, which together accomplish value delivery. These details are listed in Chart 2.4.88 MARKETING MANAGEMENT ieee eel Bede knits the frm? (Number, location, et.) the convey ba need the product serves? Who a ‘According to the firm, what isthe basic According tothe consumer, what ste need i serves? Is there a gap in these two perceptions! 1 ther ea the consumers ook fri the prot? preferences/priorities/rankings? » , > > do the > What benefits do the consu many benefits they look for, what are their pre > Whats tee renal the Value of the company’s offers? > Purchasing power of the consumers > Buying behaviour; buying motives: buying habits > Personality taitsaticudes > Lifestyles and needs—present position and trends » , > » , Brand Bean oranves for customers patronage of specific brands customers are shifting, s and competing products Brand switching; how loyalties ofthe the customer and why? Reactions of customers to the company’ ‘Who among the competitors remains closest fo Consumer Tastes and Preferences Fluctuate—Need for Perpetual Consumer Analysis In Chapter 4, we will see that a successful business strategy involves designing products and marketing programmes that provide value to consumers. Getting specific details on Sttributes which provide value to consumers as per their perception is no easy task. The task is rendered harder by the fact thar in many categories, consumer tastes, needs and preferences keep fluctuating. Changes in customer preferences, if left unmonitored, may found the death knell of a business. At the same time, if properly monitored, they often end up as attractive business opportunities. Only by keeping track of changing customer needs can one grab the opportunities emerging in the environment. Chapter 8 on consumer behaviour and Chapter 9 on Indian consumer handle in detail the various issues involved in consumer analysis. Chapter 10 on market segmentation claborates how consumers can be analysed and understood better through various methods of segmentation. Finally, Chapter 23 on marketing research deals with some of the techniques involved in studying the consumers. Industry and Competition Knowledge about industry and competition is a fundamental requirement for developing marketing strategy. Competitive advantage building too depends on a proper grasp of the position of the industry and competition. In view of the importance of the subject, we have devoted an exclusive chapter (Chapter 6) for discussing industry and competition analysis. Government Policies Specific to the Industry Earlier, we had covered the impact of government polici Earlier, d policies on the mega environment. Besi infringe mes einen, goverment plese the seiicenironnent oan sven indastyfbusness Goverment poly on technology inporis one example. y ermine also play certai i i t sn Gatecnment a play certain dc roles which have a beating onthe fnctioing of © Governments are often large sivicek purchasers of good i * Goverment subside sees ima and indeaneeAgainst foreis industries, ; shnologies and products, ‘0 be producers, and therefore, function as ign competition. z B Dan certain te competitors. nts happen Supplier-related Factors form ar portant co} frm, peculiae a it may seem, views orPOnEMt ofthe busnessspecfcenveonment. The ower; they influence the c« ‘or for the firm, They have thei IMPRERSE profs chine noe of SM merce ahd coher Wree ene ee inhouse works versus oureeacc’ thi context that discussions onthe trade-off between regard has implications on eas of supplies assume importance. The decision in this peoples a cosveffectve ray heeass oon Seo the ee of reliable suppliers also form competition for ap strategy for any firm. ie n " any firm. In the chapter on industry and competition iGhapies: 8), ve shall see in detail how suppliers ea pe eee eee tei e aad bese teeY Supls leep intodacng ange in thee profs esse a0 busines , Sometimes, suppliers suddenly become direct competitors tova firm, by themselves becoming the end-product manufacturers. Trade Environment/Distribution Factors Hep usmow tum to distribution environment. The firm has to take the product to the market, To carry this out effectively, it has to grasp the distribution environment in its market/territory/country, including legal aspects. In India, distribution/marketing channels is the most happening part of the environment in the present times. Opening up of the retail trade to foreign direct investment (FDI) is perhaps the most vital element of the change taking place in the distribution environment. The retail landscape may change radically in the next couple of years. Already, modern-format retail has been growing steadily in the ‘country in recent years, with domestic players establishing their retail chains. Influence of Society upon Businesses Society exercises power over business just as the government does. the difference is that society has to either adopt the agitation route or resort to the judiciary for redressal, whereas the government can directly commission its law-enforcing machinery in order to ensure compliance to the laws and regulations. Society has its perceptions of and concerns over the product-service-marketing schemes of corporates. The issues over which society gets concerned are many and varied. Environmental pollution, hazards to health and public safety, exploitation of children and misuse of technologies are a few examples. In some cases, protests remain lukewarm and fade away after the initial outburst; in others, they become serious and turn into long-drawn out battles. Corporates find themselves in the thick of persistent agitations as well as legal fights by the public. In India, in recent years, sectional! special interest groups and NGOs have become a major component of societal forces. Techniques Used in Environment Analysis Environment analysis involves both qualitative and data-based appraisals. Firms/marketers, ‘use a variety of techniques—quantitative as well as qualitative—in studying the different lspects of the environment. Different techniques may suit analysis of different components Of the environment. Many firms have a system of ongoing environmental scanning. Studying Marketing Environment