Marketing may be viewed as the broad range of activities involved in making sure that the customer's needs continue to be met and the organization continues to receive value in return for meeting the customers' needs (McNamara, 2007). Nevertheless, marketing activities are a critical function for businesses whether those businesses are for profit or non-profit. Marketing consists of more than just promoting and selling a product. For the most part, successful marketing is aimed at satisfying the changing needs of the customer. Thus, this paper will offer a personal definition of marketing along with definitions from two different sources. Based on the definitions, this paper will explain the importance of marketing in organizational success; and provide at least three examples from the business world to support the explanation.
First of all, there are many definitions to explain marketing. However, this author's personal definition of marketing is a business' methodology of getting its message or information about its product(s) or service(s) to the consumer in a persuasive manner that entices the consumer to purchase the product. For example, some methodologies used can be advertising in print media, radio, billboards, television, flyers, yellow pages and magazines; giving out samples can also be an effective method as well as telemarketing, and trade shows.
However, the following sources offer more accurate definitions of marketing: the American Marketing Association (AMA) and MSN Encarta Dictionary. AMA defines marketing as the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives (Bobette, 2007); whereas, MSN En ...