Comments on: What Is Marketing?

By: Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:34:25 +0000

Hi Tony, it is a circular argument. If you say the aim of marketing is to sell stuff, then marketing will be very “promotional” which in this day and age (and probably always) makes people not want to buy stuff. But when you focus on meeting customer needs, you are in the best position to earn their purchase. Very slight and subtle but important distinction for me.

So marketing needs to become an engine of customer need fulfillment. Not of selling (or promoting) stuff.

Now I agree with you on the sports analogy. Same team, different skills, same objectives, all equally important!

By: Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:31:31 +0000

Ken, thanks so much for that. I agree completely.

By: Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:31:09 +0000

I gotcha. I figured that was what you meant

By: Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:30:48 +0000

Nice and clear definition. Thanks Jorge.

By: Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:30:14 +0000

Howie, I believe you may have misread the article. What I am saying is that marketing does not just mean promotion. It needs to focus on the customer. And because that is core to a successful business of any kind, it is the job of every employee. I believe in the importance of sales and count many sales people as my brothers and sisters in arms toward the same objective of meeting customer needs in a way that propels our own business to success. I hope we could at least agree on those 2 points: customers are important, sales and marketing are important.

By: Michael Brenner

Michael Brenner — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 15:27:36 +0000

Wow. I love that line “sales and marketing is a complete sentence” and will promise to attribute the quote because I will likely use it often. Thanks for your insights.

By: Tony Dowling

Tony Dowling — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 12:02:12 +0000

Great article! I love these discussions. Although I always end up going round and round in my head with it all!

I wrote a similarly themed post a few months back and got similar reactions. But I would always pose two questions when looking at this

1) What is the ultimate aim of marketing, the marketing dept. marketing people, the marketing function et al? Isn’t it to sell ‘stuff’ in some form or other?
2) As our potential customers get more and more sophisticated and demand falters in the face of ever increasing supply, isn’t marketing simply an increasingly sophisticated way of trying to get our stuff sold?

Simple maybe, but clearly not simplistic – it just bothers me that people seem to want to break these things down into various elements in order to feel better about what they are doing?

Why differentiate it all? Obviously in terms of developing functional specialists, and attracting talent etc. it might be useful to be so specific – but surely we are all in it to get to the same end game – A sale, or a profit or whatever (Not for profits not withstanding)

Everyone on the sports team is part of the same team arent they? Even if they play different postions!

By: Ken Dauer

Ken Dauer — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:49:28 +0000

Marketing is the process of identifying and building a mutually beneficial connection between two parties.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:47:59 +0000

Midnight realization/correction – 7 notes in music – A, B, C, D, E, F G; 8 in a musical scale which is what was in my head – A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A

By: Jorge

Jorge — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 07:43:01 +0000

Marketing is the science that study the way to satisfy the needs and wishes of consumers with products, They study the conduct and behaviour of consumers, they life style, they belief, they religion to have a comprehensive understanding of the target of your product and satisfy them with your product.