Marketing originated almost a century ago. Through the years its definition has changed drastically. I have always viewed marketing as anything that promotes sales or makes them increase in volume. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines marketing as the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising. Goals indicate what a business unit wants to achieve; strategy is a game plan for getting there. Every business must design a strategy for achieving its goals. The strategy must consist of a marketing strategy, a compatible technology approach, and a sourcing plan. A useful tool for identifying relevant screening criteria and for zeroing in on a feasible strategy is S.W.O.T. analysis. It identifies and lists the firm's strengths and weaknesses and its opportunities and threats. Managers can use this tool to focus on an organizations strengths and opportunities while avoiding its weaknesses and threats. "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 stake holders (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p.6)."
Simplicity, continuity, and experimentation will pave the road to successful marketing, while complacency, overspecialization, and multistep processes impede smooth operations. General Motors elaborate organization has hindered its ability to adjust to today's intense global competition in cars. A lengthy chain of command slows the decision making process.
Organizational success occu ...