Marketing

The origins of the concept of marketing have their roots with the Italian economist Giancarlo Pallavicini in 1959.[1] These roots are accompanied by the initial in-depth market research, constituting the first instruments of what became the modern marketing, resumed and developed at a later time by Philip Kotler. Giancarlo Pallavicini introduces, the following definitions: Marketing is defined as a social and managerial process designed to meet the needs and requirements of consumers through the processes of creating and exchanging products and values. It is the art and science of identifying, creating and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market, making a profit : delivery of satisfaction at a price.

Earlier approaches[edit]

The marketing orientation evolved from earlier orientations, namely, the production orientation, the product orientation and the selling orientation.[2][3]

Orientation Profit driver Western European timeframe Description

Production[3] Production methods until the 1950s A firm focusing on a production orientation specializes in producing as much as possible of a given product or service. Thus, this signifies a firm exploiting economies of scale until the minimum efficient scale is reached. A production orientation may be deployed when a high demand for a product or service exists, coupled with a good certainty that consumer tastes will not rapidly alter (similar to the sales orientation).

Product[3] Quality of the product until the 1960s A firm employing a product orientation is chiefly concerned with the quality of its own product. A firm would also assume that as long as its product was of a high standard, people would buy and consume the product.

Selling[3] Selling methods 1950s and 1960s A firm using a sales orientation focuses primarily on the selling/promotion of a particular product, and not determining new consumer desires as such. Consequently, this entails simply selling an already existing product, and using promotion techniques to attain the highest sales possible.

Such an orientation may suit scenarios in which a firm holds dead stock, or otherwise sells a product that is in high demand, with little likelihood of changes in consumer tastes that would diminish demand.

Marketing[3] Needs and wants of customers 1970s to the present day The 'Customer orientation' is perhaps the most common orientation used in contemporary marketing. It involves a firm essentially basing its marketing plans around the marketing concept, and thus supplying products to suit new consumer tastes. As an example, a firm would employ market research to gauge consumer desires, use R&D (research and development) to develop a product attuned to the revealed information, and then utilize promotion techniques to ensure persons know the product exists. R&D companies often

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