I did it, as an experiment and some time ago. But still. I asked about 25 entrepreneurs what they thought marketing was. I got 25 different answers. If I had asked 100 entrepreneurs the question, I would have gotten 100 different answers. And everyone would have been right. I wrote down the answers I got, but I can easily recite a few from memory. Among others, these were the following fascinating quotes:
“Marketing is customer-oriented entrepreneurship.” (Gerhard, CEO)
“Marketing is making noise.” (Ashvin, artist)
“Marketing is the art of selling even more rolls of wallpaper.” (Jan, entrepreneur from Mokum)
“…influencing behavior.” (Dirk, teacher)
“Make sure you do it right.” (Francis, mental coach)
“Saying that you are doing well.” (Jurgen, sports instructor. Partly true, this statement. In my opinion Jurgen is talking about advertising, but okay)
“Marketing is opening the front door wide.” (Joop, garage owner)
“Marketing is everything you do. From hiring staff to the receipt you give or the invoice you send.” (This is mine)
According to marketing guru Philip Kotler – who doesn't know him – marketing includes so many things that you have to use different definitions. Which definition you use depends on the context in which the topic is discussed. I would like to explain this to you personally, this blog is too short for that.
According to a common definition, marketing an entrepreneurial function which identifies and defines unmet consumer needs and wants and measures their size and profit potential.
I hope I haven't lost you, dear reader. Stick with me for a while, because it's going to get a little tougher.
Aided by the measurement cited above, the most suitable target markets are identified and then the best products or services to serve that target market are determined.
In The Principles of Marketing, Kotler's marketing bible, the concept of 'marketing' is defined as follows:
“Marketing is the art and science of creating value for the customer and capturing value from the customer in return.”
In my opinion, the tough words are at odds with the festive nature of the profession itself.
My definition of marketing?
Marketing is everything.
Marketing is anything but bullshit.
You should do what you are good at.
We do too.
Corporate storytelling / Strategic marketing / Executive coaching
Business Tales. No bullshit.