Marketing in Business Strategies and Types Explained

Alexandra Twin has over 15 years of experience as an editor and writer, covering financial news for both public and private companies. Ariel Courage is an experienced editor, researcher, and former fact-checker, having worked for several leading finance publications such as The Motley Fool and Passport to Wall Street.

Marketing refers to the activities a company undertakes to promote the buying or selling of its products or services. It includes advertising and allows businesses to sell to consumers, other businesses, and organizations. Professionals in the marketing and promotion departments of corporations seek to get the attention of potential audiences through targeted advertising, which may involve celebrity endorsements, catchy phrases or slogans, unique packaging or graphic designs, and overall media exposure.

Key Takeaways:

-Marketing encompasses all activities a company does to promote and sell products or services to consumers.

-"Marketing mix" (product, price, place, and promotion) is used in marketing strategies.

-Traditional marketing techniques include television, radio, mail, and word-of-mouth.

-Digital marketing allows companies to engage in newsletter, social media, affiliate, and content marketing.

-Marketing aims to draw attention to products or services and match them with ideal customers.

The discipline of marketing involves actions a company takes to draw in and maintain relationships with customers. This includes networking with potential or past clients through activities such as writing thank you emails, playing golf with prospects, promptly returning calls and emails, and meeting for coffee or a meal. At its core, marketing seeks to match a company’s products and services to customers who want them, ensuring profitability.

Formal Definition:

"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." – American Marketing Association.

The Four Ps of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) collectively make up the essential mix needed to market a product or service. Marketers must understand the product being sold, its unique features compared to competitors, potential pairings, and substitute products in the market. Price considers unit cost, marketing costs, distribution expenses, and competition. Place refers to distribution channels, whether physical storefronts or online platforms. Promotion encompasses various activities such as advertising, selling, sales promotions, public relations, direct marketing, sponsorship, and guerrilla marketing. The choice of promotions depends on the product’s stage in its life cycle and the desired marketing strategy.

Marketing strategies are diverse and constantly evolving. Traditional strategies included outdoor marketing (billboards, vehicle wraps), print marketing (replicated content), direct marketing (mailers, coupons), electronic marketing (TV, radio), and event marketing (conferences, trade shows). Digital marketing includes search engine marketing (paid ads and SEO), email marketing, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, and content marketing (eBooks, infographics).

Though marketing brings benefits such as audience generation, inward and outward education, brand creation, and financial performance, there are limitations. These include oversaturation in competitive markets, potential devaluation of products due to discounts, no guaranteed success, bias towards non-loyal customers, expensive campaigns, and reliance on favorable economic conditions.

Marketing is a division that promotes a company’s service to encourage customer engagement and loyalty. It plays an important role in shaping the brand image and propelling the company’s growth by attracting and retaining customers. Marketing involves understanding customer needs, providing value through the customer experience, and implementing the Four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion.

There are various types of marketing, including traditional methods like mail campaigns and TV commercials, as well as modern techniques such as social media marketing, targeted ads, and inbound marketing. The goal of marketing is to make a business’s products or services known to consumers and persuade them to choose their offerings over competitors. Though marketing can be costly, companies consider it an essential investment that can lead to higher sales and profits.