mar·ket·ing
Noun: The action or business of promoting and selling products or services.
Type that question into Google and that’s the first result you’ll get. Google produces great search results, but this one falls short.
PROMOTING. That’s what many people think marketing is.
The second Google search result is a Forbes article dated 8/09/2012 entitled the same question as this post title. Commenter Gregg Emmer, vice president/chief marketing officer at kaeser & blair inc (yes, I looked him up) said, “In 1991 I was asked to explain marketing and advertising. My 4 words have been used by many others since then. Simply – Advertising informs, Marketing motivates. And to nail down marketing – Everything that creates an environment where a sale can take place. It is not any more complicated than that.” Looks like Gregg is doing a fair amount of his own personal marketing (ahem, promotion).
Walter Paul Bebirian left (in part) this comment, “Well to me it is seeing that there is a market or a way to set up a booth wherever individuals are or wherever I will come in contact with them – and at that point where I come across them – wherever that is – I introduce them to the products and services that I have to offer them – just like the staff of the different farmers at the different booths at the farmer’s market back in Lancaster, Pennsylvania – at with that introduction I provide them with the information and means to purchase the services and products that I have to offer as well.”
Is it really necessary to dive any deeper into the Google results? Not likely.
How do I define marketing?
Any activity that helps people figure out you’re just what they’re looking for.
