Marketing is more than just the expensive billboards that populate the sides of major

roadways. Marketing is much more than the clever advertisements and product placements that

we see when we watch our favorite television shows. This paper will look at two different

definitions of marketing and explain the importance of marketing in an organization. Lastly it

will take a look at three real world examples to support the importance of marketing.

According to MarketingPower, Inc (2010), “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions,

and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value

for customers, clients, partners, and society at large”(para. 1). In this definition of marketing

emphasis is placed on customers and the work or activities that are of value for customers and

business partners. It says that companies and business processes that create communication and

delivers a satisfactory product of value is what marketing is about. KnowThis LLC has a very

similar definition of marketing. According to KnowThis LLC (2010), “Marketing consists of the

strategies and tactics used to identify, create and maintain satisfying relationships with customers

that result in value for both the customer and the marketer”(para. 1). Both of these definitions

focus on building a rapport between buyers and sellers.

Marketing serves a very important purpose in the successful function of any business that

has a product to offer whether tangible or intangible. It is more than acquiring customers it also

involves branding and creating the positive impression that consumers will have when they see

and hear of your brand. The creation of that brand is important but it is not all there is to

marketing. It is vital that marketing remains customer-oriented instead of shifting to being

product oriented. The reasoning is that the days when the only thing a business looked are the

number of sales is long gone. Now it is about the repeat business and customer loyalty. If you
make your customer happy you will keep them forever and unhappy customers you will lose

them forever.

Companies without a marketing mindset are at a disadvantage in today's business

world. Those who are still centered around their products, rather than their customers, are

doomed to fail (Geld, 2010). One company that has taken this mindset to the heart of its business

is Olympus of America. Olympus had raised the bar and set the standards where quality is

concerned. They have built their products around customers giving doctors access to the best

imaging in the industry. Olympus holds several workshops at the hospitals and free seminars at

the hospitals showcasing their equipment. They also have a semi truck that travels around the

country that is a fully stocked OR that they take to customers that are unable to travel to the

corporate office or hospital. Whenever they have a new premiere product they even fly

customers in all expenses and give them hands on instructions with the product from the same

trainers that train our support staff. Also customers can speak to the CEO with very little red tape

and he is glad to hear from customers when they have positive or negative things to report. These

efforts originate from marketing but they have a tremendous impact on sales. The time and

money spent marketing in this fashion demonstrates to customers that they are important

building relationships and loyalties that become sales generating profits.

The next important thing about marketing is to know what your clients' expectations are,

exceeding them, and building a reputation based on that is the key to success. Many people do

not know much about marketing and they always feel that the marketing staff in the company is

a burden on the company and they do not justify the dollars spent on them. But the fact is that

sincere marketing efforts never go waste. When you invest in marketing related activities, you

are sure to reap benefits. Olympus does not take this view of marketing. It has a program where
the Field Service and Support Staff are required to make free visits to their customers called

elevator visits. During these visits they take any concerns that the customers have and make sure

that they do not have any technical issues that need to be resolved. These visits are not intended

to be sales related. Their sole purpose is to foster relationships and show customers that Olympus

cares and it is not just about completing a sale. These visits are appreciated and the effort often

resolves issues before they have a chance to become a negative customer experience.

Marketing plays a very important role in advertisements. This is area where most people

think of when they think of Marketing and Olympus does not disappoint. Olympus has released

what is the cutting edge in photographic technology made for the average consumer. They have

taken a consumer sized camera and packed it with features found in much larger cameras. They

were the first to the market with a digital camera that could shoot not only pictures but high

definition film. The marketing group took advantage of the capabilities of this camera and used it

to shoot the actual commercial that aired nationwide.

In conclusion Marketing plays a critical role in the successfulness of a business. It is

more than billboards, advertisements and product placements. This paper has examined three

different roles that marketing plays in business, fostering relationships, product branding and

advertising.
references

MarketingPower, Inc. (2010). Definition of Marketing. Retrieved from

http://www.marketingpower.com/aboutama/pages/definitionofmarketing.aspx

KnowThis LLC. (2010). Definition of Marketing. Retrieved from

http://www.knowthis.com/principles-of-marketing-tutorials/what-is-marketing/definition-

of-marketing/

Geld, S. (2010). Importance of Marketing . Developer Shed. Retrieved from

http://tools.devshed.com/c/a/Website-Marketing/Importance-of-Marketing/