Marketing is the art of creating and promoting products and services to be seen by potential customers; potentially including range of a targeted audience; selection of a particular target market; and analysis of consumer reactions. It is an important role in the economic activity of all industries. Marketing plays a key role in the achievement of organizational goals, as it helps the company to gain new customers and drive existing customers to increase their sales. Thus, marketing plays a vital role in the overall growth of any organization, be it large or small.
A wide range of marketing activities are undertaken by organizations for the purpose of creating new markets, increasing market share, enhancing product quality and attracting new customers. There are two basic marketing research techniques used today, namely Direct and Indirect. Direct marketing research is generally a concentrated effort to improve upon existing products or services and introduce them into the market. This involves gathering feedbacks from consumers about specific products and gathering details of purchasing habits. It is conducted for the purpose of developing improved products and services and finding out innovative new aspects of design or functionality that can be exploited for marketing purposes.
Indirect marketing research is basically designed to evaluate and test the efficacy of a product or service. This type of research is usually initiated by the company that wants to introduce a new product or service into the market. After evaluating the effectiveness of the product or service, the company would like to know whether consumers would be interested in buying it or not. The companies conducting this type of research usually approach various firms specializing in conducting market researches and consumer opinions. They are then followed by other experts who want to test the market’s response to the new product or service.
The coordination of marketing and advertising activities can be achieved if the interests of the company and its customers are properly coordinated. One important step in accomplishing this task is understanding the company’s customers needs, which in turn, would guide the marketing department in determining the appropriate marketing techniques to achieve the company’s goals. These marketing techniques include the use of various media, including print, electronic and online. The marketing department also creates advertising campaigns aimed at influencing customers’ attitudes toward particular products. The market research is also conducted to gather information on the customers needs and preferences regarding various goods and services.
These concepts, when applied, provide marketers with several means to reach out to consumers and gain their approval and patronage. Several marketing strategies, such as creating awareness about the company and its products through various forms of marketing, advertising, and promotions; monitoring the consumers; tracking sales trends; compiling data on consumer behavior and buying patterns; and creating and monitoring marketing programs, are utilized by marketers to meet their objectives. Apart from these basic concepts, marketing concepts have been further developed to include strategies on promoting product safety, creating and strengthening the company’s reputation among customers, building customer loyalty, encouraging product innovation and improvement, maximizing the company’s profitability, and reducing market risk.
A good marketing management concept always focuses on providing a distinct image of the organization and promotes its development. Its approach may be multipurpose, such as social marketing, mass marketing, or product promotion. Marketers use these marketing concepts to influence buying behaviors of both consumers and other key decision makers. For instance, a marketing concept focusing on creating positive images for a business by creating an image of success and competence might be used to sell products. It can also be used to motivate other people to do business with a certain company.