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CHAPTER 1 :- DEFINING MARKETING FOR THE 21
st
CENTURY
MARKETING DEBATE—Does Marketing Create or Satisfy Needs?
Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers’ needs and wants. Critics,however, maintain that marketing does much more than that and creates needs and wants thatdid not exist before. According to these critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend moremoney than they should on goods and services they really do not need.
Take a position
:
Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants versus marketing merelyreflects the needs and wants of consumers.
MY OPINION:-
Pro: With the vast amount of information available to marketers today and the emphasis onrelational marketing, marketers are in more of a position to suggest needs and wants to thepublic. Certainly, not all consumers have all the needs and wants suggested by society today.However, with the vast amount of exposure to these societal needs and wants via the media, asubstantial amount of consumers will, through mere exposure, decide that they “have” thesame needs and wants of others. Marketers by their efforts increase peer pressure, and groupthinking, by showing examples of what others may have that they do not. An individual’sfreedom to choose is substantially weakened by constant and consistent exposure to a range of needs and wants of others. Marketers should understand that when it comes to resisting thepressure to conform, that individuals are and can be weak in their resolve. Marketers must takean ethical position to only market to those consumers able to purchase their products.Con: Marketing merely reflects societal needs and wants. The perception that marketersinfluence consumers’ purchasing decisions discounts an individual’s freedom of choice andtheir individual responsibility. With the advent of the Internet, consumers have greaterfreedom of choice and more evaluative criteria than every before. Consumers can and domake more informed decisions than previous generations. Marketers can be rightly accused of influencing wants, along with societal factors such as power, influence, peer pressure, andsocial status. These societal factors pre-exist marketing and would continue to exist if therewas no marketing efforts expended.
 
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MARKETING DISCUSSION
Consider the broad shifts in marketing. Are there any themes that emerge to these shifts? Canthey be related to the major societal forces? Which force contributed to which shift?
ANSWER:-
The major themes that emerge in these broad shifts are technology, decentralization, andempowerment. As companies face increased global competition, they are beginning toincrease their attention to all aspects of marketing and are beginning to encompass marketingas a corporate goal and not just a departmental function.The major societal forces at work: two-income families, increased technology, fewer firms,increased consumer education, and empowerment are forcing companies and marketers toshift their thinking about marketing and rethink their best business practices.Global competition:1.
 
From marketing does the marketing to everyone does the marketing.2.
 
From organization by products units to organizing by customer segments.3.
 
From being local to being “glocal”—both global and local.4.
 
Increase technology.5.
 
From making everything to buying more goods and services from outside.6.
 
From emphasizing tangible assets to emphasizing intangible assets increasingconsumer expectations.7.
 
From relying on old market positions to uncovering new ones.8.
 
From building brands through advertising to building brands through performance andintegrated communications.9.
 
From attracting customers through stores and salespeople to making productsavailable online.10.
 
From selling to everyone to trying to be the best firm serving a well-defined targetmarket.11.
 
From focusing on profitable transactions to focusing on customer lifetime value.12.
 
From focusing on the financial scorecard to focusing on the marketing scorecard.13.
 
From a focus on gaining market share to a focus on building customer share.14.
 
From focusing on shareholders to focusing on stakeholders.15.
 
Decreased availability of firms.16.
 
From using many suppliers to working with fewer suppliers in a “partnership.”
 
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MARKETING SPOTLIGHT—Coca-Cola
1.
 
What have been the key success factors for Coca-Cola?Its pursuit of always looking for new ways to portray the brand, to keep the brand“fresh” in the minds of current consumers without betraying the “core values.”2.
 
Where is Coca-Cola vulnerable?A change in consumer tastes for soft drinks is vulnerability for Coca-Cola.Additionally, as the brand expands into third-world countries, lifestyles andcustoms provide challenges.3.
 
What should they watch out for?Any demographic, or lifestyle changes that would have long-term consequenceswould be a threat for the brand. Young consumers must embrace the brand toensure that they continue to drink Coca-Cola as they age. If Coca-Cola misses ageneration, sales will suffer for a long time.4.
 
What recommendation would you make to their senior marketing executives goingforward?Continue to embrace the core values of the brand and expand soft drink salesopportunities, not from the Coca-Cola brand, but from flanker brands oracquisitions. Preserve the Coke franchise and defend it steadfastly.5.
 
What should they be sure to do with their marketing?Evolve, adapt to changes in the consumer market by constantly monitoringconsumer buying habits, purchase intents, and their shifts in lifestyle priorities.
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