Todays Definition of Marketing. Has It Changed?
With the continued proliferation of the Internet, the meaning of the word "marketing" also seems to proliferate. Cyberspace has opened up a whole arena of new marketing technologies, techniques, and twists. Amidst the online exuberance, it seems each online marketer or salesperson changes the definition of marketing to suit his or her preference.
Many times, ill-conceived notions and perceptions reduce the meaning of the word "marketing" to a shadow of it's true self. Many see marketing as a series of tactics or gimmicks. Some define marketing as pyramid programs and the like. Others treat the words "marketing" and "sales" or "marketing" and "advertising as synonymous. None of these adequately convey the definition of marketing.
Different Marketing Definitions
Along with all of the new terminology, new techniques, and new twists the Internet has brought us, it has also opened opportunities for misguided notions about the definition of marketing. While the above definitions describe different facets or definitions of related terms, they do not convey the much broader process that is truly marketing. By taking a look at some dictionary and trade definitions of marketing we can get a better feel for what marketing is truly about:
American Marketing Association Definition
The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives. (Note 1)
American Heritage Dictionary's Definition of Marketing
The commercial functions involved in transferring goods from producer to consumer. (Note 2)
Merriam Webster's Marketing Definition
1 b: the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service. 2: an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer. (Note 3)
Marketing Definition From MSN Encarta Dictionary
The business activity of presenting products or services to potential customers in such a way as to make them eager to buy. Marketing includes such matters as the pricing and packaging of the product and the creation of demand by advertising and sales campaigns. (Note 4)
Note the phrasing: "The process," "functions involved," "process or technique," "an aggregate," "the business activity." These all get to the heart of the definition of marketing.
As a process, there are certain foundations of marketing that will never become obsolete. We still have products, services, and ideas to sell at some price. We deliver to our customers via some means of distribution. We promote and we advertise. Those are the basics. Those basics still exist and always will.
If The Marketing Definition Hasn't Changed, Then What Has?
What has changed is the business environment. Companies compete with more efficient technologies. Customers have better access to their cost options and they communicate to each other in ways not conceivable in the pre-Internet age.
In some industries, the Internet has lowered the cost of entry so that entrepreneurs -- many times from a home office -- have entered the competition. The changes in competitive environment are numerous. What have also changed are marketing strategies and the marketing programs we have available to implement those strategies.
These have changed, but the basic marketing definition has not. Superior marketing is and always has been analysis, then action. It is strategy development, then logical and thought-out tactical implementation. It is the way to customer satisfaction and increasing profit.
The steps to successful marketing and implementation include:
1) Analyzing your customers and the business environment in order to
2) identify key opportunities to better and more profitably meet customer needs,
3) figuring out how to act on those opportunities, and then
4) implementing your plan.
The process doesn't have to be cumbersome. Five-year plans and novel-length documents are not required. The logic of the action is what is important.
By applying the basic marketing process, rather than a tactic here and a technique there, your chances of success skyrocket.
Notes: 1. http://www.marketingpower.com/live/mg-dictionary.php
2. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
3. Merriam-Webster Online, http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
4. http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictionaryhome.aspx
About The Author
Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business, http://www.howmuchforspider.com/TOC.htm .
Copyright 2002 - 2004 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.
 Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:50:00 GMT AIG's ex-CEOs blamed for crisis - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - House panel chairman says executives got undeserved riches, while ex-CEOs blame accounting rules and market conditions for leading to $85B bailout. Joe Cassano: The Man Who Brought Down AIG? AIG CEOs Blame Each Other, Accounting for Insurer's Downfall Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:11:18 GMT Wells Fargo may get lion's share of Wachovia deposits: report - MarketWatch
MarketWatch - By John Spence, MarketWatch BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Wells Fargo & Co. may get as much as 80% of Wachovia Corp.'s deposits, with the remainder likely going to Citigroup Inc., according to a published report Tuesday. Citi, Wachovia, Wells temporarily halt litigation Wachovia shares waver as Citi, Wells Fargo wrangle Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:17:51 GMT Qantas Involved in Another Air Incident - New York Times
New York Times - By Liz Robbins It has been 20 years since Dustin Hoffman’s character Raymond Babbitt in “Rain Man” made Qantas synonymous with air safety, claiming he would only fly the Australian airline because it had never crashed. Qantas passengers arrive in Perth after mid-air ordeal Fifteen badly hurt as Qantas jet drops Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:24:06 GMT Thai Army Sends Troops to Help Police Keep Peace - Washington Post
Washington Post - Thailand's military agreed Tuesday to deploy hundreds of unarmed soldiers to the streets of Bangkok to help police restore order after violent clashes between police and protesters that left at least 1 person dead. Video: Raw Video: Tear Gas Fired at Thai Protestors Troops deployed as one dead, hundreds hurt in Thai protests Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:12:03 GMT Bernanke hints at possible interest rate cut - MarketWatch
MarketWatch - By Greg Robb, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke opened the door on Tuesday for a possible interest rate cut to help rescue the economy from a severe downturn, admitting that the global panic in the financial ... Video: Bernanke signals possible rate cut Bernanke: Economic outlook weaker Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:18:10 GMT Cough, Cold Drugs Not for Kids Under 4 - WebMD
WebMD - By Miranda Hitti Oct. 7, 2008 -- Don't use over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs in kids younger than 4. Leading makers of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs are putting that message on the products' labels, according to the ... Cold, Cough Medicines for Children Get Added Warnings (Update3) Drug Companies Say No Cold Meds for Kids Under 4 Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:48:20 GMT Sleuth's Presidential Debate Watch Game - Washington Post Washington Post - Tonight's debate watch games probably won't be as much fun as last week's Palin Bingo. But don't fret, there are still games to be played during this second presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. 'Aggressive' debate expected between McCain, Obama * McCain looks for way to stop Obama's momentum Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:08:21 GMT Amazon Associate Software |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... A brand is the essence of who you are. The... Read More Keeping in touch can dramatically increase business, when done properly.It's... Read More If this is the first marketing article you are reading,... Read More Marketing A Resume BusinessWhen starting a resume business, your marketing... Read More While I am not talking about the movie "Matrix", you... Read More The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just... Read More Last month we looked at what you need to do... Read More Lots of people get confounded when attempting to exchange links,... Read More You may be engaged in a marketing activities that are... Read More Doctors do it, hair dressers do it, and salespeople can... Read More Many sales problems can be solved by improved marketing. Selling... Read More 6 Secrets to Stellar Sales PresentationsEvery sale is won or... Read More One of the most rewarding, inexpensive, under-used, and effective methods... Read More In business we have a number of ways or tools... Read More As a small business owner, you must always explore creative... Read More Do you own a business and need ideas on how... Read More Change is good, right? Not always. But when is it... Read More In a world economy that is in constant flux and... Read More So you've invested more time than you ever believed possible... Read More When a shopper picks up a product in a store,... Read More Have you looked for marketing advice on the internet recently?... Read More The idea that good design can improve how people perceive... Read More Have you ever sat down to write a sales letter... Read More So many of you have been telling us that you're... Read More When commercials come on the television do you get up... Read More
Adsense
websites
Basic Brand Building
Rules of Thumb for Marketing to Your Past Customers
Comprehensive Marketing Details Not Found in Beginner Books
Resume Writing Service Marketing
Matrix Web Sites - Scam or NOT?
Focus...a Marketing Strategy
The M-Word (Marketing) Phase 2
5 Ways To Entice Your Parallel Market to Trade Links
Make Your Marketing Solve a Problem
Doing it with Class!
Your Company Need More Marketing? Or Just Better Marketing?
Make Your Prospects Say Yes!
Tie-In With Others To Maximize Your Business Leverage
Creative Emulation
Getting the Maximum Marketing Mileage Out of Your Nametag
7 Great Ways to Market Yourself and Your Business to Help Increase Sales
Does Your Marketing Plan Need Changing?
The Process of Change in Marketing Approaches
The X Factor
Service Marketers; How?s Your Packaging?
Professional Marketing
Design Does Matter
Mortgage Marketing - How to Write a Mortgage Marketing Sales Letter That Gets Results!
Real Estate Investing - Writing Killer Postcards to Attract Motivated Sellers!
Another Commercial? Dont Touch That Dial! Watch & Learn
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Whats Your Marketing Attitude?
Entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of... Read More
Slogans: Creating and Using Them In Life, Career and Business
Information is coming at us from all directions nowadays. This... Read More
Becoming The Obvious Choice In A Sea Of Competition
Differentiation, niche marketing, and positioning. These and other related business... Read More
Create a Blueprint for Your Success
Having a strong foundation enables you to build a thriving,... Read More
Non Products Exist in this World
"Both the market and the distributive channel are often more... Read More
A Complaint? It?s a Compliment! - 7 Tips for Dealing with Complaints at Trade Shows
A Complaint? It's a Compliment!What made you mad last week?In... Read More
Maslows Marketing Filter
One of the basics of all marketing and advertising training... Read More
What?s Next? A Guide to Marketing Your New Business
Coming up with an idea, seizing the opportunity, and setting... Read More
Why Do They Buy?
A recent issue of Entrepreneur magazine included a marketing story... Read More
Target Marketing: The Bell Curve
Finally, Something You Learned In Math Class Makes Sense In... Read More
The Beginners Mail Order Business Guide
No claim is made that the steps outlined would be... Read More
How to Use Flyers to Increase Your Business
What benefits will you get from flyers?Flyers are much different... Read More
Spice It Up! Rib Festival Teaches Us About Product Value
The Rib America Festival is a fun filled family event... Read More
4 Easy Ways to Get Free Marketing Exposure
Are there really ways you can get valuable marketing exposure... Read More
Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage
The biggest secret to success in business is to always... Read More
Why Do You Need to be in the SERPS?
Why does your business need to be in the Search... Read More
How to Avoid Giving Away Free Consulting
After spending 30 minutes in a coffee shop with a... Read More
How to Promote Yourself Or Your Company Through Award Competitions
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't... Read More
How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 1
In the following 'special report,' I will reveal some very... Read More
Thinking About More Business
What does an old Russian joke have... Read More
Does The Market Really Want It?
At the very heart of any successful marketing strategy is... Read More
Marketing Got You Stumped?
It's not unusual for entrepreneurs to find the whole idea... Read More
10 steps to promote your business
1) Word of mouth is the most cost-effective, powerful form... Read More
Are You Attracting or Repelling Prospects?
There are basically two ways in which you can either... Read More
Be a Smarter Marketer - Learn the L-A-W for Trade Shows
People attend trade shows because they are in a specific... Read More
Marketing |