A Definition of Marketing in Nine Words

In business schools, we were force fed many comprehensive, yet meaningless definitions of marketing –and were then forced to recite, write, and regurgitate it. Two days ago, Chris Kenton asked the community roundtable for their definition of marketing, I coughed up mine:

[Marketing is the act of connecting customers to products]

Usually, I’m very thorough in my blog posts, but this time, I’ll keep it simple. Submit your definitions below, or critique mine.

169 Replies to “A Definition of Marketing in Nine Words”

  1. In the Web 2.0 world I see the marketing more as an ART:

    Marketing is the ART of connecting customers to products

    Marketing was in charge of Awareness and Knowledge, now the Knowledge is being gathered through the internet. Know how is becoming the ART.

  2. It’s smart to re-write the ‘traditional’ definition of marketing and I like the direction you are headed. I wonder about the choice of the word ‘customer’, which assumes a commercial relationship already exists. I have to think about what other word I’d suggest because ‘consumer’ doesn’t work in the B2B world (even though arguably they ‘consume’ business solutions, it’s just not the vernacular).

    Also, is there a goal to the ‘act’ of connecting or is it just connecting for connecting’s sake? If there should be a ‘goal’, does marketing need to have a commercial bias (e.g. to ‘buy’ something, to ‘transact’ in some way)? Should marketing be done with a goal of creating advocates?

    With your proposed definition, how is marketing differentiated from the related disciplines of sales and advertising (which arguably could be sub-sets of marketing)?

    This could be a very interesting thread.

  3. How about some of these:

    – enabling a two-way relationship between a brand and a person
    – growing awareness and allegiance
    – scratching the itch
    – satisfying needs through communication
    – matchmaking
    – reinforcement of ideals

    In all of these I am taking the emphasis off the transaction and onto the driver that results in engagement. Marketing is not always about products or services… just thought I’d point that out. Yes, it is about a market. But what sort of market? A market for an idea, a message, a movement, some entertainment, a war, etc?

  4. Here’s a very simple definition:
    Marketing is the art of making the consumer want what you’ve got to offer

  5. The best definition I’ve heard came from (not surprisingly) Seth Godin– something like “Marketing is ‘influencing the actions of others.'” It’s much bigger than products and services– it can go as far as impacting the response (or lack thereof) to a human rights issue or the decisions/actions of a government.

  6. bonjour everyone

    if i try to define what marketing is to me, i’d say that it is an attempt from the brands to control (or at least influence) the way brands and consumers interact.

    neither clear nor universal, i know.
    i still like the first one, “Marketing is the act of connecting customers to products” (or services, as Gordon wrote).

  7. Marketing is responsible for all things that cause a desired audience to believe that you are worth trying, choosing, coming back for and telling others (advocacy) about. Good marketers are able to simplify the essence of the value proposition that promotes all of these things. Marketing should have more of a role in defining the actual product or service prior to the above but that is another problem – usually marketers do corporate communications, not product/service/experience design. The web 2.0 definitions could be: marketing is understanding what customers see in you and finding low cost/no cost ways of letting others know in a stealth word-of-mouth way that you a cool firm that is anti-marketing all the while making sure to stay out of the loop in fear that customers will feel it is another technique of being tricked. Ultimately, marketing is crafting the tune that folks whistle when they leave the theatre.

  8. “between consumers and their target audience”?
    do consumers have a target audience?

  9. where is the bludy definition of marketing of this page i am getting this website done for false advertising

  12. marketing is getting inside the head of people in order to allign thier perception with that of a companies offering

  17. Interesting discussion. To me it boils down to this:

    Defining and communicating value propositions.

    My definition is only 5 words and perhaps a bit vague, but I think it’s vague enough to be accurate given what a catch-all term marketing has become. Marketing can be about communicating an idea or personality as much as a specific brand or service. As marketers our goal is drive sales/adoption rates, etc., but when we do our jobs exceptionally well we create an emotional connection between consumers and our clients that becomes the basis of a long term relationship.

    Connecting consumers to a product is the first step. Building a relationship after the connection has been is hallmark of marketing greatness.

  18. I have been in product management for 23 years. I am also an adjunct professor for the University of Phoenix and teach a few marketing classes each year. As I read the many definitions of marketing in the textbooks, I come back to the definition from Philip Kotler that is simple and to the point:

    Satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process

    Need: Basic human requirement
    Want: Specific objects that might satisfy the need

    Exchange process
    -At least two parties.
    -Each party has something that might be of value to the other party.
    -Each party is capable of communication and delivery.
    -Each party is free to accept or reject the exchange offer.
    -Each party believes it is appropriate or desirable to deal with the other party.

    Although this definition may not be comprehensive, it defines the core of marketing. It find it very interesting to read how complicated the definitions have become in textbooks. I needed to streamline it for adult learners who are not in the marketing field.

    Many of the commments and definitions to this post I have read refer to “communicating to consumers about a product”. In my opinion, I think this is limiting in this new era of relationship marketing. I need to think more about my own definition. Thanks for the post!

  19. I like the defination when i see for the first time ,its very simple,why people and big organization mske it very complicated…

  20. I came across your definition as I am preparing to explain my job to K-5th graders at an elementary school career day. Perfect definition!

  24. mAEKETING is process of displaying yourself and posing. You need to sell yourslef before your product.

  28. Marketing focuses on the needs of the buyer and the needs to satisfy the customer thru product produce 🙂

  31. market is an human activity which is directed by satisfying human needs and wants through exchange process 

  32. Marketing is the engagement in a
    dialogue with customers, clients and the culture to bring about a
    behavioral change, specifically to bring attention to a company’s
    product offering and benefits of such an offering to the individual.
    At it’s center, marketing is about communication between a productive
    entity and a consumptive entity to promote exchange between the two.
    The conversation can be direct, by way of in-person conversation, or
    indirect, by way of advertisement. It can also be direct and explicit
    in it’s provocation or indirect and subtle in it’s provocation.

    In many ways, the topics of Marketing
    seem to be topics of Psychology or Sociology, overlayed with the
    motivation to provoke behavior, specifically patronage of a business
    or company entity.

    I’m having difficulty, however, finding a definitive text to read on the topic, or one that doesn’t hem and haw so much about what it actually attempting to do.

  33. Marketing is the engagement in a
    dialogue with customers, clients and the culture to bring about a
    behavioral change, specifically to bring attention to a company’s
    product offering and benefits of such an offering to the individual.
    At it’s center, marketing is about communication between a productive
    entity and a consumptive entity to promote exchange between the two.
    The conversation can be direct, by way of in-person conversation, or
    indirect, by way of advertisement. It can also be direct and explicit
    in it’s provocation or indirect and subtle in it’s provocation.

    In many ways, the topics of Marketing
    seem to be topics of Psychology or Sociology, overlayed with the
    motivation to provoke behavior, specifically patronage of a business
    or company entity.

    I’m having difficulty, however, finding a definitive text to read on the topic, or one that doesn’t hem and haw so much about what it actually attempting to do.

  39. Thank you for keeping it simple and understandable for the students – the text books are way to technical. 

  40. Identifying needs & wants of a customer and satisfying those needs & wants by introducing a product into the Market is called Marketing

  41. According to me,

    ”Marketing is like a magic,You can even sell refrigerator in a cold season”                                                     Kaleem Abbas Emrani.                                                      Head Of Marketing                                                       at Adam Holdings

  42. marketing is a business activity that direct flow of goods and service from manufacture to consumer …

  44. marketing is a act of identifying the needs and wants of the customer
    and help the customer to achieve those needs and wants through our
    valuable product.When
    it comes to shipping services, Jasico is known for rendering quality services.

  45. According to me…….

    It is the management process which identifies customer wants,anticipates their future wants,& then goes about satisfying them profitably.

  51. Marketing is the performance of business to direct the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer who needs it.

  52. the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.

  63. thnx a lot for sharing. was really helpful for my business studies presentation in school.=)

  65. you don`t’ create needs, you identify them and then create satisfactors for such needs. How sophisticated, appealing or profitable the satisfactor are depends on marketing.

  66. one of the very good definitions of marketing Jeremiah. i would change only 1 letter of it: “Marketing is the art of connecting customers to products”

  69. Marketing is the art of satisfying and keeping your customers happy to deal with you . also its the art od making your product’s consumers to loyal customers .

  70. marketing is an tool in which that help to advertise the product and fulfill the customer needs.And maximize the profit of organisation

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