Definition of Marketing
Marketing is the strategic mix of activities that look to accomplish organizational goals by performing tasks based on customer needs in an effort to promote new products or services that in turn grow the organizations business.
Marketing will always be instrumental in organizational success. A company must depend on a solid marketing plan to support sales, production, innovation, and future growth. “Marketing should begin with potential customer needs – not with the production process,” (Perreault, Ph.D., Cannon, Ph.D., & McCarthy, Ph.D., 2011, p. 7). Marketing based on this theory is customer focused - aimed at getting to know and understand the customer’s needs. Building a relationship with customers and developing the ability to anticipate their needs before competitors supports an efficient marketing model.
Ford Motor Company is a good example of an organization changing direction and focus to support its customer needs by providing attractive vehicles for over 100 years. Ford has worked diligently in conjunction with changes in the economy and technology to ensure it offered its customers and potential customers options comparable to “the times” (Perreault, Ph.D., Cannon, Ph.D., & McCarthy, Ph.D., 2011). This type of constant refocus on customer needs and the external factors on what may affect customer decision-making continues to make Ford Motor Company successful today.
Starbucks is another organization that seems to place customer satisfaction as a primary goal. Providing free WIFI in all of the coffeehouses or the reloadable reward card for frequent shoppers just to name a few amenities is totally customer focused. By doing this, the customer needs drive the marketing plans of the organization through supporting services and products that aim to promote customer satisfaction and convenience.
Another consideration that one must give to marketing is the larger role these types of activities play in the macro environment. Marketing is
Marketing will always be instrumental in organizational success. A company must depend on a solid marketing plan to support sales, production, innovation, and future growth. “Marketing should begin with potential customer needs – not with the production process,” (Perreault, Ph.D., Cannon, Ph.D., & McCarthy, Ph.D., 2011, p. 7). Marketing based on this theory is customer focused - aimed at getting to know and understand the customer’s needs. Building a relationship with customers and developing the ability to anticipate their needs before competitors supports an efficient marketing model.
Ford Motor Company is a good example of an organization changing direction and focus to support its customer needs by providing attractive vehicles for over 100 years. Ford has worked diligently in conjunction with changes in the economy and technology to ensure it offered its customers and potential customers options comparable to “the times” (Perreault, Ph.D., Cannon, Ph.D., & McCarthy, Ph.D., 2011). This type of constant refocus on customer needs and the external factors on what may affect customer decision-making continues to make Ford Motor Company successful today.
Starbucks is another organization that seems to place customer satisfaction as a primary goal. Providing free WIFI in all of the coffeehouses or the reloadable reward card for frequent shoppers just to name a few amenities is totally customer focused. By doing this, the customer needs drive the marketing plans of the organization through supporting services and products that aim to promote customer satisfaction and convenience.
Another consideration that one must give to marketing is the larger role these types of activities play in the macro environment. Marketing is
References: Kotler, P., & Keller, K.L. (2012). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River , NJ: Prentice Hall. Perreault, Ph.D., W. D., Cannon, Ph.D., J. P., & McCarthy, Ph.D., E. J. (2011). Basic Marketing. A Marketing Strategy Planning Approach (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.