Although Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, and McDonald's all strive to provide a good cup of coffee and pastries to their respective target markets, the difference in who they target, how they design their marketing mix, and what they choose as the basis of building their competitive advantage is directly related to their own:_________.A. competitive focus.B. consumer franchise.C. market leadership.D. marketing strategy.E. competitive direction.

A marketing strategy is an action plan that a company must follow in order to achieve their marketing objectives. Generally speaking, the marketing objectives of every company should be to increase sales, market share and maximize profits. The marketing strategy should help the company use its resources in the most effective way in order to obtain the best possible results.

Marketing strategies include:

selecting the appropriate target market
preparing the marketing mix (4 Ps for products and 7 Ps for services)