Marketing

Wanting something may be associated with needs particularly if the marketing concept has been applied. The customer may have a need for something to eat, marketing can influence what he may want to eat. If the marketing activity was perfect selling wouldn’t be necessary as the customer could fulfill a need by wanting what had been marketed to him. For example: the traveler feeling the need for lunch can be influenced by the advertising of a hamburgers and ultimately want one with a soft drink for his meal. With proper marketing needs are fulfilled and wants satisfied.

Marketing really knows all about your customer. This subject will be explored in detail in Chapter 6, but for the present, visualize the customer as the target for all the marketing effort. The objective here is to look at the marketing philosophy and introduce the various tools that you should expect to use –or at least become acquainted with. Virtually every aspect of our daily life is impacted by the marketing philosophy and if you are to pursue your venture interests, a sound grasp of the importance of marketing is of considerable importance. Let’s separate some of the activities in the Marketing Function.

Advertising

We seem to be inundated by constant advertising messages: newspapers, radio, television, direct mail, posters, store signs, billboards, and etc. but, without advertiser neither you as customer in your own right, or the supplier of a product, would make a transaction contact. You learn about new products means of fulfilling your needs and (the supplier hopes) you are being influenced in directions of satisfying your wants. You may even have wants created for you and some one else who want to.