TABLE OF CONTENTS About this chapter
This chapter provides a basic introduction to marketing. It highlights key marketing concepts, which will be expanded upon in the rest of the text.
After reading this chapter, you will understand:
The marketing concept.
Marketing orientation as a business philosophy.
Differences between marketing orientation and market orientation.
The development and criticism of the marketing mix.
Ethical issues relating to marketing.
Benefits of e-marketing.
Marketing is essentially a simple process. Success stems from understanding customer needs. Given that this view makes intuitive sense, why complicate matters with the likes of segmentation, positioning, the 4Ps, the 7Ps and other associated jargon? The answer is that the concept is simple, but its implementation is highly complex and involves a range of interdependent variables. These variables must be given focus and direction in order to achieve the successful fulfilment of customer needs. Marketing is the means to provide such direction. Additionally, the provider must actually understand customers and their needs, as opposed to assuming they know what customers want. Marketing enables this understanding.
Therefore, marketing in its purist sense offers a mechanism that facilitates understanding, communication and the development of products as solutions to actual customer needs. Marketing is an interface between the provider and their customers.
Numerous definitions of marketing exist:
Marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they want and need through creating and exchanging products and value with others. (Kotler et al., 1999)
Marketing is...
