marketing management in a customer-orientated business

The process of marketing management is about attracting and retaining customers by offering them desirable products that satisfy needs and meet wants.

Marketing management in a customer-orientated business consists of five key tasks summarised in the table below:

alternatives to a marketing orientation

Whilst marketing text books usually suggest that successful business will be "marketing orientated", it is the case in the real world not all businesses subscribe to the marketing concept.

The implications of believing in the marketing concept become clearer when the alternatives are examined:

There are three main alternatives to adopting a marketing orientation. These are:

(1) Sales orientation

(2) Production orientation, and

(3) Product orientation.

These are described briefly below.

structural characteristics of a marketing-orientated business

A business that has a marketing orientation sees the needs of customers and consumers as vital. As it develops and markets products to meet those demands, certain structural characteristics become apparent in the business.

customers or consumers?

A common question that arises when studying marketing is the following:

What is the difference between a customer and a consumer?

The following distinction should help:

• A customer – purchases and pays for a product or service

• A consumer – is the ultimate user of the product or service; the consumer may not have paid for the product or service

marketing concept and orientation

It is a fundamental idea of marketing that organisations survive and prosper through meeting the needs and wants of customers. This important perspective is commonly known as the marketing concept.

The marketing concept is about matching a company's capabilities with customer wants. This matching process takes place in what is called the marketing environment.

what is marketing?

What is marketing?

There are many different definitions of marketing. Consider some of the following alternative definitions:

“The all-embracing function that links the business with customer needs and wants in order to get the right product to the right place at the right time”

“The achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs better than the competition”