LinkedIn is full of marketers holding up four fingers, debating whether the profession has become too focused on promotion and sharing John Wernbom’s now widely circulated article calling for marketers to “reclaim” the marketing mix. He has a point. Many modern marketing roles are heavily focussed on marcomms, digital activity and one particular P: promotion.
But for charities, many of which are fundamentally service providers, perhaps the more interesting question is… what about the seven Ps?
Great charity marketing is about creating value for the people who need support. That means thinking beyond campaigns and communications activity alone. It means considering how services are designed, how accessible they are, how people experience them and whether organisations are genuinely building trust with the communities they exist to support.
So, what are the seven Ps and what might they look like in practice for charities in 2026?
Product
For charities, the “product” is often a service, intervention or support offer. Good marketing starts with genuinely understanding whether services meet people’s needs.
Price
Price is not always financial. People may “pay” through long waiting times, emotional effort, confusing systems or inaccessible processes.
Place
Can people actually find and access support? In 2026, place increasingly means digital accessibility, referral pathways and community visibility.
Promotion
Promotion still matters, but communications alone cannot solve structural problems. The best campaigns are rooted in genuinely valuable services and experiences.
People
Staff, volunteers and people with lived experience shape how organisations are perceived every day. Culture and human relationships are central to trust.
Process
Processes are often invisible until they fail. Referral systems, onboarding, response times and internal workflows all shape the user experience.
Physical evidence
Websites, branding, printed materials and physical environments all influence credibility, accessibility and trust. Design is never just decoration.
The seven Ps are not a checklist and no single team or department will ever fully own them all. But perhaps that is the point. Great charity marketing is rarely just communications. It is about how organisations design services, build trust and create value for the people and communities they exist to support.
Further reading
The Chartered Institute of Marketing definition of marketing
Philip Kotler on the evolution of the marketing mix