 So what is marketing?
The simplest definition of marketing is
"the process of getting products and services to the customer."
While
businesses have many functions in society, one function that is shared
by all businesses is that they all strive to create some sort of
exchange between their business and the customer. This exchange
may involve a product, a service, or an idea--but nonetheless, there is
some sort of exchange... a quid pro quo.
Marketing is the discipline that specializes in this exchange
process. Marketing includes the development of the goods and
services, the distribution of the goods and services, the
promotions and advertising of the goods and services, and deciding
what price to charge for the goods and services. Marketing is a
broad and diverse discipline, covering a wide spectrum of jobs and
employment.
Marketing is at the very heart of the business--without marketing
there would be no exchange of goods and services--thus, without
marketing there would be no businesses. This may account for why the
marketing functions have such great impact in the business world. Many
Chief Executive Officers of fortune 500 companies come from marketing
disciplines.
Professional Sales is an integral part of the marketing
discipline. It helps create the exchange process by interfacing the
company with its customers. Professional sales is a highly specialized
field with broad industry application and positive career opportunities.
Many companies start their new marketing people in sales. This direct
sales interaction with customers provide a vital learning opportunity
for future business managers.
 The
American Marketing
Association (AMA)
AMA Definition of Marketing
Marketing is 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.
AMA Definition of Marketing Research
Marketing Research is the function that links the consumer, customer,
and public to the marketer through information--information used to
identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate,
refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance;
and improve understanding of marketing as a process.
Marketing research specifies the information required to address
these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and
implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and
communicates the findings and their implications.
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