What is Marketing?

Most people think that marketing is only about the advertising and/or personal selling of goods and services. Advertising and selling, however, are just two of the many marketing activities.

In general, marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market of customers, and then going about satisfying those customers better than the competitors. This involves doing market research on customers, analyzing their needs, and then making strategic decisions about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution.

In other words, the five categories listed on the MOTI home page represent the broad scope of marketing.

This view is consistent with the following definition of marketing found in a popular marketing textbook:

"Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, services, organizations, and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organizational objectives."
-Contemporary Marketing Wired (1998) by Boone and Kurtz. Dryden Press.

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The Marketing Mix

The Marketing Mix (The 4 P's of Marketing)

Marketing decisions generally fall into the following four controllable categories: * Product * Price * Place (distribution) * Promotion The term "marketing mix" became popularized after Neil H. Borden published his 1964 article, The Concept of the Marketing Mix. Borden began using the term in his teaching in the late 1940's after James Culliton had described the marketing manager as a "mixer of ingredients". The ingredients in Borden's marketing mix included product planning, pricing, branding, distribution channels, personal selling, advertising, promotions, packaging, display, servicing, physical handling, and fact finding and analysis. E. Jerome McCarthy later grouped these ingredients into the four categories that today are known as the 4 P's of marketing, depicted below:

The Marketing Mix

These four P's are the parameters that the marketing manager can control, subject to the internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. The goal is to make decisions that center the four P's on the customers in the target market in order to create perceived value and generate a positive response.
Product Decisions

The term "product" refers to tangible, physical products as well as services. Here are some examples of the product decisions to be made:

* Brand name
* Functionality
* Styling
* Quality
* Safety
* Packaging
* Repairs and Support
* Warranty
* Accessories and services

Price Decisions

Some examples of pricing decisions to be made include:

* Pricing strategy (skim, penetration, etc.)
* Suggested retail price
* Volume discounts and wholesale pricing
* Cash and early payment discounts
* Seasonal pricing
* Bundling
* Price flexibility
* Price discrimination

Distribution (Place) Decisions

Distribution is about getting the products to the customer. Some examples of distribution decisions include:

* Distribution channels
* Market coverage (inclusive, selective, or exclusive distribution)
* Specific channel members
* Inventory management
* Warehousing
* Distribution centers
* Order processing
* Transportation
* Reverse logistics

Promotion Decisions

In the context of the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Marketing communication decisions include:

* Promotional strategy (push, pull, etc.)
* Advertising
* Personal selling & sales force
* Sales promotions
* Public relations & publicity
* Marketing communications budget

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The 3 Kinds of Marketing

To clarify and best describe the 3 kinds of marketing, it is necessary to lay out how customers are found, and why they respond to various approaches.

There are three markets:

1) "I've decided to buy something, and I'm actively looking."

2) "I've been thinking of buying something but have been putting it off."

3) "I didn't realize your product/service could do that for me - affordably."

Scenario #1 is usually for commodities - products and services with known cost and benefit. These are price-sensitive sales, and how to add value is thoroughly documented elsewhere. This market is ready, willing and able. The vast majority of business transactions are done this way because there is a built up demand with market share being the goal - a piece of the pie.
Scenario #2 is where they are willing and able, but they just haven't bothered to pull the trigger yet; they aren't "ready." This is a market where good ads inspire them to act because of "special offers." They may need an offer along the lines of, "Buy today and we'll throw in a_____ ." This market does not have to be as price sensitive as the ones who "call you" if you structure it. Get them to come to you, or, go to them and you've solved 75% of the sales effort and eliminated 75% of the chance of them shopping for price. Helpful seminars work well - as opposed to pure selling sessions. Both scenarios 1 and 2 are for mature markets where the heavier margins have been leveled out by competitive bidding.

Scenario #3 offers a whole new ballgame. You get new values that they weren't aware of. There are a lot of people who are both open-minded to believing the claims of legitimate and verifiable benefits, and, like to be frontrunners who try 'What's new;" it has a tonic effect on boredom.

Depending upon both the margin per sale and if it has inherent repeat business, you need to choose which marketing effort is best. Direct mail, radio and telemarketing can be used to these ends - a combination of all 3, if ifs affordable, is best. One thing about telemarketing: not only is it two-way communication - which demands an immediate decision - but, you find things. This means that while you are looking for a sale of a specific product/service, if you ask, it's amazing what else falls out that you won't actually be looking for. These discoveries were on their minds to begin with - it's the best of both worlds of scenarios 2 and 3.

In review:

Scenario 1 "You're buying, I'm selling - at a better value."

Scenario 2 "You've been thinking - it's an irresistible time, at our better value"

Scenario 3 "Here's what's new in benefits to you."

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Wadleigh

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Internet Marketing Companies, Online Marketing Degree, Online Marketing Service

ONLINE MARKETING SERVICE

Online Marketing Service, also referred to as Internet marketing service is about using the Internet as another channel to market your business or organization. It’s about broadening your Web visibility, attracting qualified visitors to your website or getting interested people to email or call without even needing to come to your site. When visitors do come, through on-site marketing efforts and strong features, you lead them to do what you want them to do: fill out a form, register for an event or make a purchase from you through the internet usage. Some people would be eased to make their necessary work about their company by providing online worker from other place to make their job more easy to do.

Online Marketing Service builds, executes and measures direct response strategies using the Internet. Some key areas that the company should consider to concentrate on are acquisition of specific information, retention of the data being given on the site, awareness of how the site should be handled, optimization of the site content and behavior, and conversion of details through a more useful resource to the users online.



Here are some of the processes that the company should consider in getting their online marketing more effective:

1. Define Your Goal - work together with every member of your company to help clearly define exactly what it is you want to accomplish towards a more fruitful future using the online marketing service and how to set up goals which are important to the company.

2. Develop the Plan – the company should develop strategic, effective and measurable direct response marketing plans designed to achieve the company goals. Through the company's efforts of each member, a more suitable and easy way of conducting the plan can be performed.

3. Execute the Plan - provide capable and experienced project management throughout the entire implementation process. Each member of the company should be reliable, thorough, well-connected, and determined to make satisfied clients that are connected to the company. With these at hand, satisfied clients are willing to cooperate and pay more for the efforts of the company.

4. Measure the Results - No online marketing campaign is complete without measuring the results. Internet marketing strategies take tracking and measuring of the clients website advertisements before implementation occurs. This way, the company can measure their effectiveness to the clients as well as how better they know their company's effectiveness in the process. With the good results that the company is displaying, more and more clients are willing to be with the company and won't have second thoughts of paying a good amount for a good service that the company offers. Clients' satisfaction are very vital when it comes to consideration about the company's main goal.

ONLINE MARKETING DEGREE

Online Marketing Degree generally refers to the degrees that are offered in the internet through advertisements and well-presented by different courses that are being offered by the colleges and universities throughout the globe. It most likely want to prepare individuals in undertaking and managing the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers by the use of the internet.

A more easy way to determine whether you're making the right decision in improving and pursuing your career as student is to continue studying and taking one of the major courses that the college or university offers. Online Marketing Degree includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets.

Many colleges and universities have come up with the idea of advertising their different online courses because through this, a more practical, faster and easier way of advertising through the web can be seen and noticed. They will no longer have to make certain advertisements through television and radios just around their country but through online marketing service. The degrees that they offer will be seen by anyone from anywhere around the globe by the use of the internet. An effective way of advertising without the high costing.

A slight example on the online marketing degree is the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Marketing (B.S.B.A./MKT.) which puts working professionals on a clear path to lifelong learning and success. Maximizing their career opportunities, making important contributions to the profession, reaching the potential—that define success.

Through a program that combines academic theory with practical application, and includes courses in Ethical Leadership and in Social Responsibility, the students will gain knowledge and experience in areas vital to business and society. This concentration will help the students develop insights into an organization’s marketing effort by learning not only the traditional disciplines of alternate marketing channels, sales management, advertising and research, but also emerging marketing approaches related to consumer motivation, global customer management, customer relationship management, and marketing on the Internet.

Another example of an online marketing degree is the Master of Business Administration in Marketing (M.B.A./MKT.), it provides students with the ability to examine the relationship between marketing and corporate strategy and the tools necessary for developing and implementing strong marketing tactics throughout the companies in which they work. Through a hands-on curriculum including case analyses, this specialization lays the practical groundwork necessary for students interested in strengthening or furthering their career as a marketing professional or decision maker.

INTERNET MARKETING COMPANIES

Internet Marketing is a broad term that can include everything from pay-per-click management to a full-blown online marketing campaign that builds traffic and tracks site visitors to increase conversions from all mediums. Internet Marketing can be thought as encompassing all of the following disciplines: search engine optimization, pay-per-click management, link building and affiliate marketing.

Internet Marketing Companies work solely towards getting their client’s product or services marketed online, and this is really becoming something that modern businesses can’t live without. Obviously, an Internet marketing company can’t use the same techniques that a traditional advertising agency would use, such as television commercials and special promotions.

The things that an Internet marketing company can do are pretty amazing, though, because the costs are fairly low and the results can potentially reach a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing, which allows businesses to draw out an instant response from potential customers, is a unique quality of the medium. Internet marketing companies can bring creative and technical aspects together, including design, development, advertising and sales. Internet marketing methods include search engine optimization, pay per click management, display advertising, email marketing, interactive advertising, blog marketing, and viral marketing.

The services that an Internet marketing Company offers aren’t always something tangible that people can see, although things like banner ads and social media marketing (using sites like MySpace) are quite visible. Things like search engine optimization and pay per click management are more intangible, but they help promote a website by placing it where people will see it when they are looking for that type of product or service. Internet marketing companies grow and promote an organization using online media.

An Internet marketing company does not simply build a website or promote a website… They make that website visible to people who are likely to become real paying customers. For some reasons, people are making easier ways of advertising their products and news through the Internet because of its lower cost and its effectiveness. Consumers can see the products and massive orders and requests could be in any instant on line with the company which provides the products.

An online marketing campaign is necessary these days with the Internet become bigger and bigger by the day. Therefore, it is crucial to hire an effective Internet marketing company to help your business achieve the online results you are looking for.

Since the advent of the World Wide Web, there have been many new evolutions to online marketing. Thankfully, there are many Internet marketing companies that can show you the ropes about the industry so that you can capitalize with your online venture.

There is a wide variety of items that a quality Internet marketing company can provide to your business. One of the main sources of online marketing is in search engine optimization, commonly referred to as SEO. This process simply refers to the act of ensuring that your website appears in the top of the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN. This is achieved by submitting articles and keyword phrases all over the Internet because the more links that your website has on the Net, the higher your search engine ranking will be. Since most customers will choose to use the services of a company that is among the top ten in the search engines, SEO can work wonders for your online venture.

However, an Internet marketing company also has many other services that can benefit your business. Many of these particular companies also provide website designing and graphic design help that will make your website much more appealing to the public. If you search hard enough, you will be able to find a quality company that will produce your website from the ground up and then use SEO to ensure that your site gets the recognition it deserves.

(by: Jan Michael Balasa)

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10 Marketing Must Have's

Marketing is what makes or breaks any business, and all too often it is simply overlooked or made as an after thought. Though it is important that you get together with a designer experienced in marketing and design, there are some things that you can do right now to improve your marketing efforts by yourself.



1-Have a clear message: What are you trying to say? Do not attempt to put your life story in a brochure and pass it out! People will simply throw it out.


2-Be consistent: Your letterhead, flyers, banners, web site etc. should carry the same theme throughout. This builds up trust among other things.


3-Proof Read: Or don't-but when you get your order for 5,000 flyers back and realize that there are errors in it, you will wish you had.


4-Target Your Audience: We all have a target audience, that is who we most often sell to and therefore cater our marketing to. Your marketing materials should appeal to these people.


5-Don't Skip It: You and I both have seen wonderful products go belly up, and worthless crap clutter store shelves successfully. Why? Marketing. Do not overlook the importance of this in your business.


6-Be Memorable: Set yourself apart from everyone else. If you sell goat milk soap, there are about 1,000,000 other goat milk soap creators out there, right? So when I, the consumer, come into contact with your company, why would I choose you? Give them a reason!


7-Get a Logo: If you can not afford to hire someone to handle all of your marketing materials, at the very least find a really good designer to design you a killer logo. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50-$5,000 for original logo designs, but when all is said and done, you have an authentic and memorable brand to build upon and last you many years.

8-Never miss an Opportunity: There are so many times through out the day when you have the ability to 'market' and don't. For example, for paintedplatesandbowls.com, the company ships many packages and has to mark them all 'fragile'. Well, when we had the fragile stamp designed, we added the web address just below the "Fragile" so now that web address is all over the package and being seen by people we will never meet!


9-Understand Humans: Just as in the example above, you have to understand human reactions. Humans are naturally curious, but avoid being manipulated. This is why when you post to a message board or network you will get far more clicks by simply putting your URL (like http://GetWrappedUp.com ) than a big needy sales pitch.


10-Invest wisely: Do not simply buy ads with companies or directories because they are cheap. If no one read the publication then no matter how cheap it was, you over paid. It is better to be creative in your marketing (sending samples to radio djs, sponsoring contests, etc) and save your money up until you can afford to buy an ad on a site with more visitors. And, only market to your market, anything else is spinning your wheels.

Next time you are shopping, look at their clearance section and you are bound to find some great products with poor marketing. Go through the rest of the store, and you will at some point find some products that are little more that junk selling quite nicely, because they have a great marketing campaign. Follow these tips, and stay out of the clearance section.

(by: Samantha Olea)

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