Improving Customer Relations - Essay Example

Business organizations utilize marketing to gain greater exposure in the marketplace. Marketing can be defined as the activity, set of s, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large (Marketingpower). The use of advertising can increase the sales of a company by attracting new customers. Marketing has evolved in the 21st century due to the rise of digital information. Online advertising has become a rising industry that generated $71 billion in revenues in 2011 (Plunkett Research, 2011).

The convergence age has changed customer preference as smartphones have become a new tool that marketers must emphasize in their marketing plans. The use of marketing can also enhance relationships with stakeholder groups such as customers, suppliers, and the community. I work as a manager of a convenient store. At my job marketing is often used as a tool to increase sales of products. One of my responsibilities as a manager is to handle supplier relations. The suppliers of products provide the store with advertising material and special offers.

For example the cigarette companies give the store special offers to be passed on the customers. I decorated the store with many posters of advertisements that are sold at the establishment. It is my opinion that the advertisements posted around the store influence the buying behavior of the customers. The store does not have a long term marketing plan. Every trimester I have meetings with the ownership team to discuss among other matters any changes to the marketing strategy of the company. The marketing profession can be very beneficial to society as a whole.

One of the most important roles that marketing serves to the public is as a provider of information that can be used to make buying decisions. Smart consumers take advantage of the special offers that marketers advertise to lower their expenditures. Marketers often use the power of the media to support social causes such as hunger, poverty, and human rights. The internet has enhanced the ability of marketers to publish information at low costs. Customers are the most important stakeholder group of a business because their money is used to purchase goods and services from companies.

Marketing can be used to improve customer relations. Companies can show their appreciation for customers by sponsoring public social events such as music and art festivals. The use of coupons is a promotional tactic that helps customers by lowering their final acquisition price. Another way to improve customer relations is by creating reward programs. One of the most competitive and well designed rewards program in the fast food industry is Burger King’s BK rewards program. Increasing customer retention is beneficial because based on Pareto’s 80-20 rule 80% of a company’s sales come from 20% of its customers.

The use of primary and secondary research can be help a company gather information about customer buying behavior. Companies must adapt to the changes in the marketing industry in order to be able to satisfy the needs of its customers. ReferencesMarketingpower.com. 2012. “Definition of Marketing.” American Marketing Association. 4 March 2012. Plunkett Research. 27 March 2011. “Adverting & Branding Industry Overview.” 4 March 2012.