Marketing Strategy

Marketing strategy is a profound concept. Contrary to popular belief, it's more than just a polished brochure, an advertisement, a sales campaign, or the pitch of a savvy salesperson. It's an all-encompassing approach—where everything is interconnected—that focuses on creating sustainable added value. It coordinates all marketing activities across departments and levels to meet customer desires and needs. Emotions and perceptions play a vital role in how goods and services are valued. That's my perspective, and I'm certainly not alone in holding it.

If you search for 'marketing strategy' on Google, you'll encounter a myriad of definitions. The beauty of it is that these various interpretations can be distilled down to the core idea behind the term "marketing": bringing products to market. To effectively market your products and/or services, it's essential to address every business aspect. For true success, which means sustainable customer satisfaction coupled with reasonable profits, your products and services should cater to the market, not the other way around.

The "Godfather" of Marketing, Philip Kotler, eloquently encapsulated this idea: "There will always, presumably, be a need for some selling. However, the goal of marketing is to render selling unnecessary. Marketing's aim is to know and understand the customer so intimately that the product or service not only meets their needs but also sells itself. The ideal outcome is a customer eager to purchase. All that remains is to ensure the product or service is available."