I have had the displeasure of being asked what marketing was by my 9 year old brother. I was at a loss for words, “Marketing is customer centric management” doesn’t mean much to him and after that point I was fumbling around different lecture notes in my head trying to come up with something short, to the point and which more importantly justified marketing as a business function. I finally got as far as
Marketing is making sure the business is doing things that customers want
I don’t think he bought it, and I’ve been searching for an explanation of marketing ever since, surely I should be able to explain the general idea behind something I have been studying for three years, but I think I fell into the trap of thinking about marketing as a scholarly pursuit, rather than as a business function, I knew I had to fix that. There are the jokes explaining different marketing tactics
You see a fabulous girl/guy at a party. You approach them and say, “I’m fantastic in bed.”That’s Direct Marketing.
You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a fabulous girl/guy. You have one of your friends approach them, point at you and say, “She’s/He’s fantastic in bed.”
That’s Advertising.
I don’t think he would have got the joke, and it wouldn’t have answered his question; these are marketing communication tools or marketing tactics. They don’t explain what marketing is. Luckily for me, Seth Godin exists and has provided this great, concise explanation which I could probably use as a starting point should I my vocation ever again come under any intense scrutiny by pre-teeners
Make big promises; overdeliver.
Big promises are the overall value proposition to the customer, in line with their needs, values and long term interests. Overdeliver means making sure this value proposition is realised and exceeded
Anyone got any better quick explanations? Comments please
7 responses so far ↓
Seth Godin // 4 May, 2008 at 1:51 pm
thanks for reading, Lee!
fakeideas // 6 May, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Thanks for commenting
petemayo // 14 May, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Hmm… explain marketing to a 9 year old.
I would do real world stuff.
“A guy sells apples at the market.
He wants to sell a lot of apples.
He uses marketing and puts up a sign pointing to his apples and write ‘delicious apples this way’ to bring people to his apples, he then uses marketing again by telling people about his yummy apples.”
But in keeping with the sentance format, I would say Marketing is:
“Teaching people that you have what they want.”
Or: “Tell people about it, Make it look good, Make people want it.”
Something like that, it gets difficult eh because if you say marketing is: “My stuff is awesome, buy it” how is that different from advertising? And it leaves out brand awareness, etc.
Tricky stuff, I’m always learning what it is myself…
fakeideas // 14 May, 2008 at 10:28 pm
Thats great, thank you very much for your help.
I think going with your sentance structure and adding in market research and customer centrality I might go with;
“Finding out what people want, making sure you have what people want, then teaching people that you have want”
Diane // 14 May, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Marketing is what makes you buy things you don’t want or need.
Erik Johnels // 14 May, 2008 at 11:47 pm
To a:
5 yo Marketing is those shiny big billboards you see and the people that talk to mom/dad in the store.
9 yo.. Marketing is what you do to keep the customer happy.
12 yo marketing is understanding what the customer wants, so that you don’t make things they don’t want.
15 yo Marketing is finding our what the customer wants so that you can provide them with a product or service that meets or exceeds their needs.
18 yo and up - Marketing is everyone and everything that comes into contact with the customer.
The problem is to get Business men and women to stop thinking like the 5yo..
Bryan Wagner-Adair // 27 May, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Marketing is what very talented young men who should be therapists (’cause we need lots more good ones) do.
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