New definition of Marketing
The
definition of marketing has been unveiled by the society again and again in
past hundreds years since the term “marketing” was adapted by the scholars.
From the article, the authors give “marketing” different definitions along with
time moving. As we all know, the market changes in every day, it is important
to understand the meaning of marketing for every marketer, and they must be
able to adapt the changing of market fast enough, when the market changes, they
changes.
The
marketing was described as “agricultural product distribution and selling
activities” (Zinkhan and Williams) in nineteen century, and the definition did
not change that much till twenties century, the definition of marketing has
been changed several times in this century. The words “trade” or “distribution”
will simply defined the marketing in the earlier century, and then the
consumer’s needs and wants had been added to the definition of marketing, also
service and non-profit marketing had been added to the “marketing” at the end
of the century, people had more understandings with the meaning of “marketing”.
Until 2004, the American Marketing Association (AMA) gave “marketing” a new
definition which the authors are not totally agreed with: “Marketing is an
organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and
delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways
that benefit the organization and its stakeholders”. (AMA)
The authors believe that the new definition only focus at
business to business but ignores the individual consumers or their benefits,
also research on consumer behavior might not fit in the new definition. The
authors also challenge with the words “managing customer relationships” from
the definition, they believe “not all customers and marketers desire a
relationship orientation” (Zinkhan and Williams), more and more consumers like
to shop online, websites like eBay and Amazon, instead of shopping in the
store, therefore marketers don’t have to worry about managing the relationship
with customers, and the relationship marketing model is replaced by transaction
model.
The authors also believe that the new
definition is “isolated from the past” by “failed to show much of a sense of
history”. First, the four Ps which is standing for price, product, promotion
and place, and should always be included into the marketing theory, however,
the new definition only includes product (creating represents product) and
promotion (communicating represents promotion) but ignores price and place, the
only two Ps new definition might confuse people. Second, from the new
definition, marketer’s job is delivering the value to customers but not
satisfaction, which will lead the process incomplete. After all, although the
new definition “takes some positive steps toward redefining” (Zinkhan and
Williams), it raises questions.
Different
marketing definitions might bring marketers different outcomes, based on the
authors’ analysis, AMA’s new marketing definition is not completed, also
partially conflict with the real market. It is important to everyone, not only
the marketer but the consumers, when we understand the marketing better, successes
will be closer.
Citied:
George
M. Zinkhan and Brian C. Williams, “The New American Marketing Association
Definition of Marketing: An alternative Assessment”; Journal of Public Policy
& Marketing, Vol. 26, No.2 (Fall, 2007), pp. 284-288. Published by:
American Marketing Association; Article Stable URL:
http:www.jstor.org/stable/30000804
