Glossary/Strategy & Frameworks/4Cs of Marketing
Strategy & Frameworks
4Cs of Marketing
Robert Lauterborn's 1990 customer-centric alternative to the 4Ps: Consumer wants, Cost, Convenience and Communication.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
The 4Cs of marketing is Robert Lauterborn's 1990 customer-centric alternative to the 4Ps, covering Consumer wants and needs, Cost, Convenience and Communication. It reframes product, price, place and promotion from the buyer's viewpoint, encouraging marketers to consider total cost to the customer, ease of buying and two-way dialogue.