Definition of Marketing: Exploring the New Era of Audience-Centricity
If you ask 10 different people what marketing is, you’ll probably get 10 different answers.
Marketing is a big, indispensable aspect of business. Yet even within the same organization, everyone has their own take on it.
And most of the time, the only real consensus about marketing is that no one seems to like it. Some find it mildly annoying, others see it as a necessary evil, and many are simply convinced it doesn’t do much for them at all.
This diverse understanding of what marketing really is and what it can do is just one of the things that makes marketing so challenging.
After all, how can we collaborate on marketing efforts if our fundamental understanding of it is all over the map?
I recently went to go to Google and typed in, "What is marketing?"
And in the results, I saw a disappointing pattern:
Something vital was missing.
And here’s why that matters: For those of us knee-deep in the marketing world, the way we put marketing into words is not just a game of semantics.
It shapes strategies, guides KPIs, and influences how well our ideas are embraced.
And for the decision-makers steering the ship, the definitions hold even more weight. They define marketing's role within the organization and echo throughout our collaborations with other teams.
So, it's worth asking the question:
Do our divergent viewpoints on marketing impact our success?
The Problems with Traditional Definitions:
In this post, I’m going to break down four run-of-the-mill definitions and take a closer look at what’s missing.
The first one came up, straight from the dictionary:
Not surprised to see the words like “promoting,” “selling,”here. (Market research gets thrown in there too, but it feels like it's just tacked on.)
Of course, this is the main perception of what marketing is. The type that rubs everyone the wrong way.
Flyers plastered on billboards. Pushy sales tactics. People selling us things we don’t need.
The truth is…marketing is so much more than just promoting, selling, and advertising.
As a marketer, it is disappointing to see THE dictionary definition have such a narrow focus on promotion, which overlooks many crucial aspects of marketing and the impact it can have on a business.
In fact, some of the most important aspects of marketing have little to do with directly promoting products or services.
We’ll talk more about that in a minute.
Definition #2:
First, let’s take a look at what came up next. The definition from the AMA (American Marketing Association):
From ama.org
This one is more robust than the last but I think it gets lost in its own complexity.
Abstract, academic terms like "institutions" and "processes," makes it feel like its saying a lot without really saying much at all.
Overall, I don’t find it very useful.
And while this one does mention “value for customers,” it's so ambiguous that it doesn't really give us a clear idea of what that means or the significance of the concept.
We need a definition that cuts through the jargon.
Definition #3:
The next one (from HubSpot) is easier to hook into:
From HubSpot.com
There’s a lot to like here.
HubSpot certainly understands the value of marketing.
I like the way it replaces the idea of promotion with ideas like “attracting an audience through high-quality messaging,” “standalone value,” “LONG-TERM goal,” and “ultimately increasing sales.”
It wonderfully connects marketing activities to the customer journey that eventually leads to business impact. With an emphasis on a long-term impact.
But for me, there’s still something missing.
And that brings me to the last one:
Definition #4:
From impactplus.com
This one zeroes in on bottom-line objectives, like revenue. “Drive traffic, qualified leads, and sales.”
And we all want this from our marketing. After all, it’s what ultimately delivers the value to your customer.
But this stance kind of portrays marketing as more transactional rather than the genuine relationship-building adventure it is.
It sort of glosses over the intricate journey that paves the way to sales. And so much of the magic of marketing happens in that space.
You know what all of these definitions are truly missing?
They all focus on the business and its products or services.
But let me ask you something:
…. why do these definitions hardly mention customers at all?
Here's a fresh vantage point to ponder:
Here’s what I would propose to be a new definition of marketing:
"Marketing is the art and science of building relationships with your target audience, guiding them on a journey from strangers to customers and beyond, by consistently providing value, building trust, and persuading them see your product or service as the solution that meets their needs."
Let's dive a bit deeper into some essential tenets behind this definition…
Marketing is the Art and Science:
Marketing is commonly perceived as inherently creative. We’re the team that makes things look good, right? But in reality, it's also about social sciences like psychology and sociology. It’s about data analysis and uncovering insight. It's not just about dynamic visuals and catchy taglines, but understanding human behavior and what primes people to choose your solution.
Marketing is about Building Relationships:
At the heart of this redefined view lies an focus on relationships. Effective marketing is like dating. It doesn’t push itself on others. It realizes that in doing so, you push people away. Marketing’s true potency lies in fostering trust, nurturing people’s memory of your brand, and guiding your audience along the journey from initial curiosity to buying situation.
Marketing is about Your Audience:
While many associate marketing with business objectives like “driving traffic, converting leads, and sales” it truly begins by deeply understanding your audience. It's about utilizing research, insights, and data to shape your communication and genuinely resonate with them.
Marketing is about Providing Value:
In every human interaction—whether with friends, family, or brands—value sustains engagement. It's the conversations, experiences, and emotional moments that leave an impact. The same goes for marketing. It's about sparking emotions, sharing knowledge that aids their journey, and delivering compelling content that resonates.
Marketing is about Persuasion:
An essential facet of marketing is undeniably tied to achieving business goals. You're not fostering relationships purely for the sake of it. But timing is key. Just as you wouldn't typically propose marriage after the first date, effective marketing steers clear of targeting a cold audience. It's about knowing when to present your offering and when to nurture the relationship, and acknowledging that not every moment is geared towards closure but that both facets are integral to a successful customer journey.
Audience-centricity is one of the biggest principles at the heart of modern marketing.
And I'm not alone in this line of thinking...
For instance, Philip Kotler, a prolific marketing author, and educator evolved his definition of marketing over the years. In 1980, he framed marketing as "satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process."
But come 2018, he gave it a fresh twist, defining it as:
"The process by which companies engage customers, build strong customer relationships, and create customer value in order to capture value from customers in return."
Did you notice? He mentioned the customer three times and only brought up the business incentive at the end.
This idea isn't groundbreaking; it's something we intuitively grasp as humans.
We understand that cultivating strong relationships demands time, effort, and a genuine commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of the other person.
And interestingly, these are the very brands that win our hearts and our wallets.
So, why aren't more businesses putting this into practice?
📣 Promotion is an easier, more familiar route. Showcasing products and services, highlighting features and benefits, feels like a well-trodden path, a safe bet.
On the other hand, diving into our audience's world, and uncovering their preferences, values, and challenges, is tougher. It involves research, a long-term perspective that often gets overshadowed by quarterly sales goals.
📈 Relationship building is harder to measure. Or, I should say, it requires more sophisticated measurement. After all, it’s based on human behavior. The default “last-click” attribution model won’t reveal all that we need to know. It doesn’t always yield instant quantifiable results. It requires training and experience to properly measure and understand the incremental impact of marketing, as well as immediate revenue gain.
Final Thoughts: Unlocking the Real Value of Marketing
As we step into the modern age, aligning our perspectives on marketing is key.
What if all of us—marketers, executives, and those we collaborate with—rallied behind the idea that “marketing is about fostering relationships"?
Instead of disproportionately spending on short-term tactics, we would acknowledge that investment is essential to cultivate customers' awareness, interest, preference, and desire for a product.
Marketing activities would prioritize delivering value to the audience, building trust and credibility for the brand, and, ultimately, laying the groundwork for successful sales.
And what if, in this paradigm shift, the perception of marketing no longer carried the weight of being a “neccessary evil?”
What if it went from being viewed as “promotion” and instead, was seen as a human-centric avenue building sustainable growth and long-term success for the brand.
Maybe that's aiming too high, but then again, a gal can dream 💫.
