Marketing more than any other Business function, deals with customers. Although we will soon explore more detailed definition of marketing perhaps the simplest definition is this one: Marketing is managing profitable customer’s relationships. The twofold goal of marketing is to attract new customers by promising superior value and keeps and grew current customers by delivering satisfaction.
Wal-Mart has become the world’s largest retailer and one of the world’s largest companies by delivering on its promise. “Always low prices. Always!” At Disney theme parks, “imagines” work wonders in their quest to “make a dream come true today.” Dell leads the personal computer industry by consistently making good on its promise to “be direct.” Dell makes it easy for customers to custom-design their own computers and have them delivered quickly to their doorsteps or desktops. These and other highly successful companies know that if they take care of their customer’s market share and profits will follow.
Sound marketing is critical to the success of every organization. Large for profit firms such as Procter & Gamble, Toyota, Target, Apple, and Marriott use marketing. But so do not for profit organizations such as colleges, hospitals, museums, symphony orchestras, and even churches.