Which of the following is NOT a component of the marketing mix?

The marketing mix traditionally consists of four key components known as the "Four Ps": Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. Each of these elements plays a significant role in the marketing strategy.

Product refers to what is being offered to the market, including its quality, features, branding, and design. Price is the amount customers are willing to pay for the product, influencing demand and profitability. Promotion encompasses all the strategies used to communicate the product's benefits to potential customers, such as advertising, public relations, and sales promotions.

Positioning, while critical in a marketing strategy, is not considered one of the core components of the marketing mix. It refers to the perception of a product or brand in the minds of consumers relative to competitors and involves elements from the marketing mix to establish how a product is viewed in the market. Because positioning is a broader strategic concept that involves how the marketing mix elements are used to create a specific image or identity for a product, it is not classified as one of the primary components of the marketing mix itself.