The marketing mix is a set of four Ps that are used by marketers to create and maintain a competitive advantage in the market. The 4Ps are product, price, place, and promotion. These four elements help establish the competitive position of a product or service in the market. A company can use these 4Ps to drive sales, build brand loyalty, and increase customer retention. The 4Ps were originally introduced by Philip Kotler in his book "Marketing Management." Since then, they have been widely adopted by marketing professionals as the cornerstone for their strategies.