Marketing is EVERYTHING...

…(and yes, as a strategic marketer I may be biased, but I’m in very good company!).

My view is right up there with the granddaddy of management and marketing, Peter Drucker, in totally agreeing with the following:

“The purpose of a business is to create a customer.” After all – what is a business without some form of user or customer? Errr. Dead.

“Business has only two functions -- marketing and innovation. All the rest are costs.”I’m frustrated, yes absolutely frustrated with marketing often being totally pigeon holed and misunderstood. (And, speaking to fellow marketers, I’m not alone). Marketing is not just promotion. Promotion is ONE function. Yet, when people talk to me about what their ‘marketing teams’ actually DO – what they’re usually talking about is purely promotional activity.

And for all the product developers, product champions that are chomping at the bit right now…

“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits and sells itself.” So yes, products and services are most certainly important, but products or services designed without solving a problem for an end user, are unlikely to be successful, regardless of how much ‘promotion’ you throw at it.

Understanding the customer is a fundamental marketing endeavour. What’s the saying… you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear! So, the product has to stand up – and to stand up it has to be meaningful to the customer. (And yes, for those asking, ‘But what about products / services that create new needs that aren’t about solving problems?’ - yes, innovation is one of the two key business functions – as Mr Drucker mentions above.

So, come on marketers, whether CMO, marketing director, marketing exec, product marketer, digital marketer, social media marketer – and whatever other title … hold your space.

Get back on track with your strategic know how, own it, be courageous, make some noise, and challenge.

In a world where we’re all getting totally fed up with being bombarded with pointless and irrelevant messages and the spaghetti against the wall tactics just don’t cut it (and are thankfully being penalised), then it’s time to step up, speak out and own your strategic role and practice meaningful marketing.

And if you are holding your space, then continue and support others to do the same.

Well, that's my view... what's yours?

Michelle Carvill - Digital Educator, Social Pro, 3 x Author Author of recently published, ‘Get Social – Social Media Strategy and Tactics for Leaders’, Educating leaders and thought leaders how to #GetSocial. Founder digital agency, Carvill Creative. Highly experienced Strategic Marketing Consultant. Professional Speaker. Find out more via www.michellecarvill.com .