Avinash Kaushik - world leader in web business optimisation
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Definition of marketing
This definition of marketing from my Internet marketing book is used to explain Internet marketing and E-marketing in the broader context.
Definition of Marketing
As with many terms with the ‘e’ prefix, we need to return to an original definition of the topic to more fully understand what e-marketing involves.The definition of marketing by the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing is:
"Marketing is the management process responsible for:
- identifying
- anticipating and
- satisfying customer requirements
- profitability."
This definition of marketing emphasizes the focus of marketing on the customer, while at the same time implying a need to link to other business operations to achieve this profitability.
Internet marketing can help support marketing goals through
- Identifying – how can the Internet be used for marketing research to find out customers’ needs and wants?
- Anticipating – assessing the demand for digital services (the online revenue contribution) and particular resources
- Satisfying – a key issue for e-marketing is how to achieve customer satisfaction through the electronic channel; this raises issues such as: is the site easy to use, does it perform adequately, what is the standard of associated customer service and how are physical products dispatched?
The marketing concept
According to Chaffey et al. (2006) the term ‘marketing’ tends to be used in two distinct respects in modern management practice. It can describe:- The range of specialist marketing functions carried out within many organizations. Such functions include market research, brand/product management, public relations and customer service.
- An approach or concept (the marketing concept) that can be used as the guiding philosophy for all functions and activities of an organization. Such a philosophy encompasses all aspects of a business. Business strategy is guided by an organization’s market and competitor focus and everyone in an organization should be required to have a customer focus in their job.
The modern marketing concept (Houston, 1986) unites these two meanings and stresses that marketing encompasses the range of organizational functions and processes that seek to determine the needs of target markets and deliver products and services to customers and other key stakeholders such as employees and financial institutions.
Valentin (1996) argues that the marketing concept should lie at the heart of the organization, and the actions of directors, managers and employees should be guided by its philosophy. The modern concept of marketing is much broader than the lay person’s view of marketing simply as advertising and sales. Modern marketing philosophy also requires that organizations be committed to a marketing or customer orientation (Jaworski and Kohli, 1993). This concept involves all parts of the organization coordinating activities to ensure that customer needs are met efficiently, effectively and profitably.
Houston, F. (1986) The marketing concept: what it is and what it is not. Journal of Marketing, 50 (April), 81–7.
Jaworski, B. and Kohli, A. (1993) Market orientation: antecedents and consequences. Journal of Marketing, July, 53–70.
Valentin, E. (1996) The marketing concept and the conceptualization of marketing strategy. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Fall, 16–27.
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