SearchMarkeking-UK.com

2.1: What is marketing?

Idea of marketing is as old as history of human civilization, although, from Barter system to hi-tech electronic marketing, this concept has seen true process of evolution. But what marketing exactly is? There are different groups of scholars with different opinions and ideas about marketing. Common people always confuse marketing with selling and advertising. Philip Kotler, in his early books, defines marketing as an activity to achieve specific goals. In his own words "Marketing is human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes" (Kotler, 1976). This definition is very well respected among the marketing scholars but it does not make the idea of marketing simpler. A self explanatory and more descriptive definition of marketing has given at cfdccariboo.com; they recognize marketing as the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to satisfy customers. (cfdccariboo.com/glossary.htm). The above definition enlightens marketing in a much uncomplicated manner; it brings the activities like planning and promotion into domain of marketing and emphasis on the customer satisfaction.

The Chartered institute of marketing (CIM) explains marketing as "management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably" (http://www.cim.co.uk/mediastore/FactFiles/Factifile7ps.pdf, 2006). CIM is a British association; their perception towards the marketing reflects the approach of many British marketers. According to above definition process of market research, new product development, product life cycle, management, pricing, promotion come under the marketing’ umbrella.

Americans have the same marketing thought but they bring in organization’s benefits into definition. American Marketing Association (AMA) suggested marketing as “an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders” (http://www.marketingpower.com/mg-dictionary-view1862.php, 2006). This is very realistic definition which says that delivering the value to customers is important but it should bring the profit and benefit to the organization and its stakeholders.

In some recently published definitions on different marketing literature websites, authors describe the marketing as combination of different processes to give value to customers. Like on garyeverhart.com the author identifies marketing as the activities involved in moving products and services from the source to the end user, including advertising, sales, packaging, promotion and printing (www.garyeverhart.com, 2006).

On another website primarydandt.org, the author acknowledge marketing as a process of products and services, attracting new customers to a product or service, keeping existing customers interested in a product or service, building and maintaining a customer base for a product or service. Advertisements play a large part in marketing. (www.primarydandt.org/learn/glo_0000000330.asp, 2006).

Almost whole marketing literature refers marketing as an activity or set of activities to achieve some goal. To obtain those goals marketers need a plan. For creating a marketing plan, marketers need to look for certain marketing variables. McCarthy (1964) recognised these factors as Product, Price, Promotion and Place. These factors are commonly known as 4p’s and often referred as marketing mix. Chartered institute of marketing describe Marketing mix as combination of tactics used by a business to achieve its objectives by marketing its products or services effectively to a particular target customer group. (http://www.cim.co.uk/mediastore/FactFiles/10_min_Marketing_Mix.pdf, 2006)

Next : Literature review Part 2

--Funnyhits.com --Apnigames.com --TumTube.com --TariqTeddy.com --Desiclips.co.uk --Apnakhanewal.com