PC Industry without Steve Jobs - Coursework Example

PC Industry without Steve Jobs Introduction Picture the PC industry without Steve Jobs. Personal computers would remain a strange technology to most individuals; businesspeople would be the only witnesses of how enjoyable social networking sites are; and Apple Computers would not even rank as the world’s most innovative company for 2010. From the drift, Jobs was the man mainly responsible in commercializing the first ever successful line of personal computers, Apple II. Like many other commercial triumphs, Apple depicts how marketing creates a positive impact on profit-making. Marketing is integral in a highly capitalized society. Especially when competition can become rough, there arises the need to distinguish one from another in order to be patronized. The Definitions of Marketing Much had been wielded to contain ‘marketing’ into a concrete and generally accepted definition in spite of having a widely recognized principle or context. This is because marketing is just as dynamic as the market only that the former changes by both form and substance unlike the latter which only refines by structure. Various marketing professionals conceived “marketing” at different perspectives and manner. Its definitions may be narrowed down into two categories: product-oriented and the customer-oriented (FK Publications, 2010). The very first definition of marketing was coined by the National Association of Marketing (NAM) in 1935 (n.d. cited in FK Publications, 2010). By then, its technical definition was as follows: "Marketing is the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producers to consumers.” John Freeman Pyle’s concept of marketing replicates the above definition wherein he referred the “flow of goods” as the buying and selling process (1931 cited in FK Publications, 2010). Product-oriented definitions bluntly depict how marketing is equated to money-making itself. It is just an instinctive process in perfecting a transaction -- not a channel. Such definitions mirror how the market used to be before the age of information; when the way of living was still slow and simple. While such definitions may describe the essence of doing business, they exclude the importance of consumers as stakeholders in the market. Unlike product-oriented definitions, the second category of marketing definitions engages the firm to its customers, hence the name. This group of descriptions reveals the humanitarian aspect of marketing. The American Marketing Association (AMA), the successor of NAM, defined marketing as the: “...process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives” (1985 cited in Gilligan & Wilson, 2005, p.4); while the Chartered Institute of Marketing developed the following definition: “Marketing is the management process that identifies, anticipates, and satisfies customer requirements efficiently and profitably” (n.d. cited in Lancaster & Whitney, 2006, p.4). Compared to product-oriented definitions, the preceding definition is technical though broader and considers the stakeholders as part of the value chain. The same context goes with Philip Kotler’s description stating that: “Marketing is the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others” (n.d. cited in Kumar & Mittal, 2001, p.2). Here, Kotler describes marketing as an interpersonal procedure; therefore, it also functions as a medium in establishing relationships with whomsoever is in the other end of the cycle. Marketing: Defined An organization employs marketing wherein the value is created and communicated back to a desired group of audience. This means that the amount of goods, services, and/or any bargained for value will eventually benefit both the organization and its stakeholders. Marketing is an interactive process which starts from the identification of customer’s needs and wants and ends with their satisfaction that should lead to the increase of the organization’s competitive edge in the marketplace. Communication is the main tool of marketing and an integrated marketing communication (IMC) is the way of a strong rapport. The Concept of Marketing Indeed, during the Industrial Age, businessmen were product-oriented and consumers were merely part of the business equation. Marketing, then was tantamount to ’selling’ itself (Webster, 1988), a mechanical component in the business cycle (p. 31). With mild competition and products mass-produced and sold to an unsegmented type of market, businessmen saw how any product or service they produced, easily went off the shelf (Kartajaya, et al., 2010, p.3). It was not until production became excessive when marketing transformed into being a strategy. Perhaps due to increased competition, businessmen became sales-oriented (Hughes, et al., 2009, p.342). Regardless of demand, products were still sold but through promotional efforts (i.e. advertising, deploying sales forces, and devising various selling techniques) which were both intensive and extensive at the same time (Hughes, et al., 2009, p.342). Yet, such type of marketing rendered futile. The Information Age introduced consumer preference and individuality (Kartajaya, et al., 2010, p.4). Because of this, businessmen diverted their attention on the needs of their prospects -- a humanitarian obligation of business. Marketing developed into a more complex process. Markets were segmented and products were differentiated (Webster, 1988, p.31). As such, customer satisfaction proved to be the key to increase profitability and marketing was integrated into the entire business system. Not only did marketing become a function, it particularly turned into a business philosophy. Marketing 2.0 (as Kotler, et al. (2010) put it) stemmed from the idea that an organization can acquire competitive advantage only when it outwits competitors in identifying and satisfying consumer needs and wants (cited in Kumar & Mittal, 2001, p.18). This approach is viewed to be the only strategy to achieve profitable visibility in the market. The Role of Marketing The role of marketing can be perceived from an organizational perspective and customer‘s perspective. Organizational Level. Historically, marketing was a mere mechanical business procedure wherein only the marketing department is deemed to perform marketing activities. Now, it has become everybody’s responsibility (Lacobucci, et al., 2001, p.xiii). Marketing plays various yet indispensable roles in the corporate level, business level, and functional level. A company-wide market orientation had been empirically proven to contribute to a strong financial performance (Moorman & Rust, 1999, p.180). At a corporate and business level, market information aids in developing a corporate strategy and a strategic marketing plan respectively (Haley & Jain, 2009, p.23). In corporate marketing, the firm may establish and/or maintain its relationships with stakeholders through understanding the behavior of the industry. Strategic marketing is also future-oriented. Product lines are positioned in the market to eventually gain a sustainable competitive advantage. At a functional level, marketing strategies are planned, executed, and managed (Bruner, 2003, p.98). This is where marketing mix reinforces the long-term objectives of the organization. Customer Level. Today’s marketing approach is directed towards creating value for a selected market segment. It is the essence of marketing itself. That said, customers may not only concern themselves with the product alone but rather the customer value the firm provides. Through value creation, a firm may accumulate loyal consumers who, in turn, stabilize the consumer base. Value can be obtained by deploying of the 4Ps of marketing (product, promotion, price, and place) or otherwise known as the marketing mix (Donnelly & Linton, 2009, p.26). A product adds value when it answers the customer’s demands. When the market price corresponds to the customer’s perceived price, then it is said that the price contributed in creating value. Effective promotion shapes a consumer mindset that could lead to brand loyalty. When the place provides convenience to both the firm and especially to customers, it also provides value. Though there are several ways in achieving customer value, the marketing mix is still the most basic, not to mention, effective way in shoring up customer relationships. The Future of Marketing Due to the natural volatility of the market, the marketing concept evolved. From being transactional, marketing had instead became relational, that is, in creating and maintaining healthy firm-to-stakeholders relationships (Ballantyne, et al., 2002, p.4). With technology getting more and more intelligent, it will take a considerable time before technology could entirely pacify the human race. The Information Age is the era of liberation. Consumers would continue to dictate the marketplace since as the marketing pattern today suggests, everything appears like a public property that can be easily customized, thus manipulated. Liberated consumers would mean more rigorous, intelligent, creative, and strategic marketing efforts. Consumers make the market volatile which is why brand loyalty will be harder to achieve. However, creating and maintaining relationships will always be unquestionably important. This would be the main challenge of marketing in the future. Everything would be fast-paced. CEOs will no longer regard marketing as a lowly business function. Internet marketing would overtake tri-media marketing for the former would create more appeal to consumers because of an increase in the number of segmented markets. With high technology, marketers could easily predict market trends through market inputs. Nevertheless, online marketing would remain affordable for marketers. Businesses would see how important it is to be future-oriented in order to survive instead of stagnating in the present. Competition would change drastically as market niches would even proliferate. Specialization will intensify. Standardization will remain history. Conclusion Indeed, marketing plays an indispensable role for thriving in the market and eventually gaining that competitive advantage. Though the marketing concept is anticipated to reform overtime, as is the market, its essence cannot be reduced. Marketing will not only be about determining and satisfying consumer demands. It would be the directive principle in an organization itself. 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