Overview

There you are. You should now (assuming you have reached this point by reading through from the beginning!) have a better understanding of the world of marketing, in concept and in its activities. We began with the three Ps: product, price and presentation, and added what is sometimes referred to as the fourth P, place, in Chapter 6, which dealt with distribution (and more besides). We have reviewed a wide range of topics, dissecting the process while at the same time stressing the nature of marketing as a cohesive whole.

So, given the nature of marketing, it is useful to end on a note linked to the overall concept again, rather than simply reaching the end of the dissection in the last chapter and stopping. To end, therefore, let us highlight five overall factors vital to marketing success, which we might call the five Cs (some were touched on in Chapter 6 with regard to distribution).

The first C of marketing is customer. The whole of every aspect of marketing, the concept, the planning through to all the research, communications and the application of every technique must focus on the customer. The customer is king, as the saying has it and ultimately he who pays the piper calls the tune.

The second is continuous. Marketing is not an option, a bolt-on activity, or for moments when time allows. It must be present all the time as the company goes about its business. Indeed, without marketing there is...