Even those who have been in the marketing game don’t really know how to define it. It’s commonly thought of as a fun, creative job meant to push campaigns and sell products. While there is some truth to those few words, there are also many other things involved in marketing that set it apart from industries.
Definition of Marketing
When looking at the definition of marketing, you’ll notice that the words: creative, communication, and clients play a part. Instead of filling it in with all the other words, let’s start with these elements. Marketing is a way of bringing products to clients through the use of creative communication. As a team, marketers brainstorm the best way to deliver based on market and customer research. In the end, it’s all about selling products and gaining satisfied and loyal customers. Those thinking about a career in marketing should consider the four Ps of Marketing for a better definition and purpose of the title. The four Ps are:
- Product
- Price
- Place
- Promotion
What Do Marketers Do?
When thinking about marketing, it’s hard to wipe the image of men in swanky suits and ties sitting around a table and sipping whiskey in a room filled with smoke. Thanks to Mad Men, the popular series that highlights the glory days of marketing, the title has gotten a golden image. While it is fun and exciting, marketing is also stressful at times. Day to day, marketing teams check the status of their campaigns and brainstorm. The goal is to find ways to make a bigger splash in the market and beat out the competition. Teams do this by getting people talking about their product in hopes that it will lead to sales. Marketing teams take on different roles and use social media, email, and TV advertisements to relay their message to potential clients.
What Don’t They Do?
You can find lots of things that marketing teams do but, there are some that they do not. Some think that marketers also handle product scheduling, which they most certainly do not. Marketing teams have no control over products in stock nor how the logistics of them work out. Logistics falls in the hands of those in charge of the organization and logistics like Project Management.
Understanding what marketers don’t do, everyone in the office and students thinking about a career can better understand their role. So, if marketing teams create a successful campaign that starts trending, they have done their job well. However, if Project Managers can’t find a way to keep products in stock, then the teams’ efforts might have been lost due to the inability to deliver.
The Evolution of Marketing
Just like other branches of business, marketing is changing. It’s nothing like it used to be and will surely keep evolving into something new and advanced for future consumers. Marketers are only in charge of one sector in business, reliant on many others to do their jobs.