Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AN OVERVIEW OF MARKETING
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
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 stakeholders.
Four competing philosophies strongly influence the role of marketing and marketing activities within an
organization. These philosophies are commonly referred to as production, sales, marketing, and societal marketing
orientations.
The production orientation focuses on internal efficiency to achieve lower prices for consumers. It assumes that
price is the critical variable in the purchase decision.
A sales orientation assumes that buyers resist purchasing items that are not essential and that consumers must
be persuaded to buy.
The marketing orientation is based on an understanding that a sale predominantly depends on the customer's
decision to purchase a product and on the customer's perception of the value of that product. Responsiveness to
customer wants is the central focus of the marketing orientation.
The societal marketing orientation holds that the firm should strive to satisfy customer needs and wants while
meeting organizational objectives and preserving or enhancing both the individual's and society's long-term best
interests.
Selling Orientation
Organization's focus is inward on the firm's needs
Business is defined by its goods and services offered
Product is directed to everybody
Primary goal is profit through maximum sales
volume
Goals are achieved through intensive promotion
Marketing Orientation
Focus is outward on the wants and preferences of
customers
Business is defined by benefits sought by customers
Product is directed to specific groups (target markets)
Primary goal is profit through customer satisfaction
Goals are achieved through coordinated marketing
Marketing provides a delivery system for a standard of living, which is a monumental task in a society such as the
United States, where a typical family consumes 2.5 tons of food per year. No matter what an individual's area of
concentration in business, the terminology and fundamentals of marketing are important for communicating with
others in the firm.
Between one-fourth and one-third of the entire civilian work force in the United States performs marketing
activities. Marketing offers career opportunities in areas such as professional selling, marketing research,
advertising, retail buying, distribution management, product management, product development, and wholesaling.
As a consumer of goods and services, everyone participates in the marketing process every day. By
understanding marketing, one can become a more sophisticated consumer.
PRETEST
Answer the following questions to see how well you understand the material. Re-take it after you review to check
yourself.
1.
2.
What five conditions must be satisfied for any kind of exchange to take place?
3.
4.
List five ways in which a marketing orientation is different from a sales orientation.
5.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1
I.
B.
C.
2
II.
Exchange may not take place even if all of these conditions exist, but these conditions are
necessary for exchange to be possible.
Production Orientation
The production orientation focuses on internal capabilities of the firm rather than on the desires and
needs of the marketplace. The firm is concerned with what it does best, based on its resources and
experience, rather than with what consumers want.
B.
Sales Orientation
A sales orientation assumes that more goods and services will be purchased if aggressive sales
techniques are used and that high sales result in high profits.
C.
D.
Market Orientation
1.
The marketing concept states that the social and economic justification for an organization's
existence is the satisfaction of customer wants and needs while meeting organizational objectives.
2.
b.
Integrating all the organization's activities, including production, to satisfy these wants and
needs
c.
Achieving long-term goals for the organization by satisfying customer wants and needs
legally and responsibly.
3.
A market orientation involves obtaining information about customers, competitors, and markets;
examining the information from a total business perspective; determining how to deliver superior
customer value; and implementing actions to provide value to customers.
4.
Understanding your competitive arena and competitor's strengths and weaknesses is a critical
component of market orientation.
5.
Market-oriented companies are successful coordinating all business functions to deliver customer
value.
2.
a.
The societal marketing orientation states that an organization exists not only to satisfy customer
wants and needs and to meet organizational but also to preserve or enhance individual's and
society's long-term best interests.
This orientation extends the marketing concept to serve three bodies
the organization itself, and society as a whole
B.
Sales-oriented firms tend to be inward-looking. They focus on satisfying their own needs rather
than those of customers.
2.
Market-oriented firms derive their competitive advantage from an external focus. Departments in
these firms coordinate their activities and focus on satisfying customers.
Customer Value
1.
Customer value is the ratio of benefits to the sacrifice necessary to obtain those benefits.
2.
3.
C.
Customer Satisfaction
Customer satisfaction is the feeling that a product has met or exceeded the customer's expectations.
The organizational culture focuses on delighting customers rather than on selling products.
D. Building Relationships
Relationship marketing involves forging long-term partnerships with customers and contributing to
their success.
Most successful relationship marketing strategies involve the following features:
1.
2.
3.
4.
E.
Customer-oriented personnel: employees attitudes and actions are geared toward the customers
best interests.
Training: employees receive specialized training in building relationships with customers.
Empowerment: employees are empowered or enabled to make key decisions when
necessary in order to fix problems or meet customer needs.
Teamwork: entails collaborative efforts of people to accomplish common objectives.
A sales-oriented firm defines its business in terms of the goods and services it offers, like an
encyclopedia publisher defining itself simply as a book publisher/seller.
2.
A market-oriented firm defines its business based on the benefits customers seek.
3.
4.
F.
Focusing on customer wants does not mean that customers will always receive the specific goods
and services they want.
2.
G.
H.
The goal of a sales-oriented firm is profitability through sales volume. The focus is on making the
sale rather than developing a long-term relationship with a customer.
2.
The ultimate goal of most market-oriented organizations is to make a profit from satisfying
customers. Superior customer service enables a firm to have large amounts of repeat business,
customer loyalty, and higher profit margins.
Sales-oriented firms seek to generate sales volume through intensive promotional activities, mainly
personal selling and advertising.
2.
Market-oriented organizations recognize that promotion is only one of the four basic tools that
comprise the marketing mix. The tools are the marketing mix elements (the four P's): product,
place (distribution), promotion, and price.
3.
The important distinction is that market-oriented firms recognize that each of the four
components of the marketing mix is of equal importance: sales-oriented organizations view
promotion as the primary means of achieving their goals.
B.
C.
Between one-fourth and one-third of the entire civilian work force in the United States performs
marketing activities.
2.
Marketing offers career opportunities in areas such as professional selling, marketing research,
advertising, retail buying, distribution management, product management, product development,
and wholesaling.
D.
As consumers of goods and services, we participate in the marketing process every day.
2.
Almost 50 cents of every dollar consumers spend goes to pay marketing costs such as market
research, product research and development, packaging, transportation, storage, advertising, and
sales-force.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
Fill in each blank with the appropriate term or phrase from the alphabetized list of chapter key terms. These
definitions do not necessarily follow the same order as the textbook. Each term is used only once.
customer satisfaction
customer value
empowerment
exchange
marketing
marketing concept
1.
2.
3.
market orientation
production orientation
relationship marketing
sales orientation
societal marketing orientation
teamwork
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
4.
5.
6.
_____________________________
7.
_____________________________
8.
_____________________________
9.
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
12. The idea that the social and economic justification for an
organizations existence is the satisfaction of customer wants
and needs while meeting organizational objectives.
_____________________________
Check your answers to these questions before proceeding to the next section.
T RUE/FALSE QUESTIONS
Mark the statement T if it is true and F if it is false.
_____
1.
A marketing exchange cannot take place unless each party in the exchange has something that the
other party values.
_____
2.
Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, once said about his cars: You can have any color
you want as long as its black. This shows a strong marketing orientation.
_____
3.
The president of Airbuzz cellular phone service likes to conduct research among current customers
to find out their likes, dislikes, and overall needs. This is an example of a marketing orientation.
_____
4.
Having a sales orientation is the same as having a market orientation since both have the ultimate
goal of satisfying customer needs.
_____
5.
You are about to start manufacturing and selling ferret food. You have met with your board of
directors and you all discussed the benefits and sacrifices regarding the purchase of your food.
Knowing the ratio of benefits to sacrifices allows you to specify how much customer value you will
achieve.
_____
6.
_____
7.
Check your answers to these questions before proceeding to the next section.
AGREE/DISAGREE QUESTIONS
For the following statements, indicate reasons why you may agree and disagree with the statement.
1.
The marketing concept actually encompasses both the sales concept and the production concept.
Reason(s) to agree:
Reason(s) to disagree:
2.
Marketing is the job of everyone in a business organization, not just the marketing department.
Reason(s) to agree:
Reason(s) to disagree:
3.
Reason(s) to disagree:
_____
1.
_____
2.
_____
3.
If you were in the marketing consulting business which of the following clients could you not
serve?
a. The Boston Museum of Science, which needs to determine what exhibits should it offer
visitors
b. The State of Mississippi, which needs to attract tourists
c. Dr. Susan Scott, an orthopedic surgeon wishing to open a practice in your home town
d. The World Gym, which needs to determine where to locate its next outlet for customers
e. All of the above could be served by a marketing consultant
_____
4.
_____
5.
Fred Stone, the owner of Neanderthal Products, Inc. is production-oriented. If you were in charge
of his marketing operations, which of the following statements might you use as a guiding
principle if you wish to meet Mr. Stone's demand?
a. "I'm a customer and everyone is like me. I buy on price, therefore everyone does, as well."
b. "We need to buy the fastest production equipment as possible to raise productivity and keep
prices at the lowest possible level."
c. "We produce the best widgits in the market place."
d. All of the above would be consistent with Mr. Stone's demands.
e. None of the above would be consistent, because all reflect a sales orientation.
_____
6.
Assume that there are two major competitors in a hospital products company. Company A uses
salespeople who uses aggressive promotional tactics when they call on doctors, nurses and hospital
administrators. Company B uses very little sales effort and makes the cheapest hospital products.
The idea behind Company Bs strategy is that the price will sell the product. Company Bs has a:
a. customer orientation
b. sales orientation
c. production orientation
d. marketing orientation
e. discount orientation
10
_____
7.
Rhonda works for a company that markets time-share condos on beach resorts in Mexico. Her job
is to call people and invite them for a free weekend at one of the beach resorts, where customers
only have the obligation to take a tour and listen to a pitch about investing in the time-share.
Rhondas company has a:
a. marketing orientation
b. production orientation
c. promotion orientation
d. sales orientation
e. customer orientation
_____
8.
Joanne noticed that her neighborhood had a large number of children who attended school until
mid-afternoon and then came home to an empty house while their parents were still at work. She
canvassed the neighborhood and asked parents if they would be willing to provide a small
investment to rent facilities at a nearby park so that their children could participate in safe but
stimulating activities under the care of young adult volunteers. There was overwhelmingly positive
response, and Joanne started the Kids Klub in her neighborhood. Joannes efforts support a
___________ orientation.
a. production
b. sales
c. marketing
d. customer
e. enterprise
_____
9.
The Ajax Insurance Company tells its salespeople to try to sell life insurance to everyone they meet
or contact. In contrast, the Family Shelter Insurance Company concentrates on special insurance
plans designed for single parents. Family Shelter is:
a. missing out by not concentrating on the average customer
b. a company that would state that they are in the business of selling insurance
c. a selling-oriented company
d. recognizing that different customer groups have different needs and wants
e. aiming at a goal of profit through maximum sales volume
_____
10. Paul Newmans line of Newmans Own food products donates all profits to charitable
organizations. Newmans Own has which type of orientation?
a. production
b. sales
c. promotion
d. marketing
e. societal marketing
_____
_____
11
_____
13. Jason likes his sales associate job at Whiz-Bang electronics store because he loves dealing with
customers and is allowed to solve their problems himself rather than going through an arduous
hierarchy of approvals. Customers seem to respond very well to the quick problem-solving. This is
a good example of:
a. teamwork
b. one-to-one marketing
c. a sales orientation
d. empowerment
e. training
_____
14. Jackie is a food science major at a state university and hopes to operate the family restaurant after
graduation. Jackie has been advised to take a marketing course in the school of business as an
elective, but she thinks this would be a waste of time. You are her friend and a marketing major.
You advise that:
a. marketing is not relevant for a business like a family restaurant
b. Jackie declare a business minor because she needs a backup career
c. more nutrition and gourmet cooking classes will be most useful for Jackie
d. the main reason to take marketing is to teach Jackie how to advertise the restaurant
e. marketing knowledge will help Jackie to understand how she can satisfy consumers' needs
and wants
_____
15. Jon owns a small laboratory that makes bifocal contact lenses. His company is growing fast, and
there are many things he does not understand about his customers. Should Jon take a marketing
course?
a. Yes, because marketing is synonymous with selling, and Jon will want to learn aggressive
sales techniques to continue the company's growth
b. No, because he can hire an advertising firm and will not need further knowledge of marketing
c. No, because marketing is a minor function in business
d. Yes, because the concept of marketing will help Jon to better serve and satisfy his customers
e. Yes, because marketing teaches businesses how to sell products that people don't need
Check your answers to these questions before proceeding to the next section.
SCENARIO
Please read the following marketing scenario and answer the questions that follow.
The fictitious Freedom Mutual Insurance Company is a leading provider of life, medical, property, and casualty
insurance to consumers. Before this year, sales agents of Freedom Mutual were trained to aggressively take
business away from their competitors by offering lower prices on similar insurance coverage or by creating
packages with more features. Sales agents had strict quotas to maintain, and bonuses were granted on the number
of new accounts and the amount of revenue the agents brought into the company.
In 2005, the company began to change its way of conducting business. Sales agents were still trained to bring in
new accounts, but they were also given incentives to keep existing business. Sales assistants input many types of
data about their policyholders into a new database, thus creating a rich profile of each customer. Current
policyholders are sent messages about additional coverage they may need as changes in the family (birth of a new
child, new car, etc.) occur. In addition, customers are asked fill out a survey twice a year about the service that they
have received from their insurance agent and any suggestions for improvement.
True/False:
_____
12
1.
Before this year, Freedom Mutual Insurance Company followed a marketing orientation.
_____
2.
This year, Freedom Mutual changed from a sales orientation to a marketing orientation.
_____
3.
Because of its new focus on existing policyholders, Freedom Mutual will likely lose revenue in the
short-run because agents will be too busy to focus on new business.
Multiple Choice:
_____
4.
In 2005, Freedom Mutual paid more attention to its existing customers by keeping updated
customer profiles and tracking major life changes that may require new coverage. This is an
example of:
a. a production orientation.
b. customer satisfaction.
c. relationship marketing.
d. a societal marketing orientation.
e. a proactive orientation
_____
5.
_____
6.
Short Answer:
7.
If you were named the national marketing director for Freedom Mutual in 2005, how would you describe the
companys new external focus in the new marketing materials? (Name at least seven ways.)
13
ESSAY QUESTIONS
1.
Define marketing in your own words. Compare it to the textbooks definition of the term. Have you included
all the elements that are necessary for marketing?
2.
Briefly describe each of the following: a production orientation, a sales orientation, a market orientation, and
a societal marketing orientation.
14
3.
Name and describe five key areas in which a market orientation differs from a sales orientation.
4.
Review the appendix called Careers in Marketing. It immediately follows Chapter 1. Of the careers that are
listed, which one would you be most interested in pursuing if you were to pursue a marketing career? List
activities from your education (both high school and college), extracurricular activities, volunteer work,
and/or paid work experience that would quality you for this job.
15
APPLICATION
The objective of this assignment is to understand the differences between the marketing concept a fundamental
objective for the entire course and other business philosophies.
Look up the following Web sites of marketing organizations or products:
http://www.ford.com
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.tmobile.com
http://www.carnival.com
Review the Web sites thoroughly and click on several different links.
List the elements on the Web site that you believe are marketing-oriented.
3.
4.
List the elements on the site that you believe are NOT marketing-oriented (i.e., they are sales-oriented or
production-oriented.).
5.
Describe why you believe these elements are NOT marketing oriented.
16
ONLINE EXERCISES
On line exercises are scattered throughout the chapter. They are repeated here so that you can complete the
activities.
MarineMax, p. 5
How does MarineMax use its Web site to connect with its market? What clues on the home page of its Web site
indicate that MarineMax is a customer-oriented company?
http://www.marinemax.com
Western Union, p. 8
Has Western Union rebounded from its failure to define its competitive arena as telecommunications? Evaluate the
companys Web site to find out. Describe, if you can, the companys value proposition, the market it serves, and
whom it seems to be competing against in the twenty-first century.
http://www.westernunion.com
Philip Morris, p. 11
How does Philip Morris handle the sensitive issues associated with marketing tobacco? What kind of information
does its Web site provide about smoking and its negative effects on health? How do you think Philip Morris is able
to justify such marketing tactics? After checking around the site, do you think that approach makes the company
more or less trustworthy?
http://www.philipmorris.com
Southwest Airlines, p. 12
Do some investigating at the Web site for Southwest Airlines. How does Southwest Airlines provide value to its
customers? How does its Web site support its ability to satisfy potential and existing customers? What evidence can
you find that is both successful and organization-wide?
http://www.iflyswa.com
17
Britannica, p. 14
Go to Britannicas Web site. What evidence do you see that Britannica has redefined its core business? What do you
think its business definition currently is? How has the company met the challenges of CD-ROM technology and
online content distribution?
http://britannica.com
18
3.
The production orientation, the sales orientation, the marketing orientation, and the societal marketing
orientation.
(text pp. 7-9)
5.
Sales orientation:
Inward focus based on organizations needs
Focus on selling goods and services
Product targeted at everyone
Profit is gained through maximum sales volume
Goals achieved through intensive promotion
Marketing orientation:
Outward focus, based on wants and preferences of customers
Focus on satisfying customer wants and needs and delivering superior value
Product targeted at specific groups of people
Profit is gained through customer satisfaction
Goals achieved through coordinated marketing and interfunctional activities
(text pp. 9-17)
6.
Four reasons for studying marketing are: (1) Marketing plays an important role in society; (2) Marketing is
important to business; (3) Marketing offers outstanding career opportunities; and (4) Marketing affects your
life every day. (text pp. 17-18)
Correct Answer
sales orientation
empowerment
market orientation
marketing
teamwork
exchange
production orientation
relationship marketing
customer value
societal marketing orientation
customer satisfaction
marketing concept
Text
Reference
7
13
8
6
14
6
7
12
11
9
12
8
19
TRUE/FALSE SOLUTIONS
Q#
1.
2.
Correct
Answer
T
F
3.
4.
T
F
5.
6.
7.
F
F
Text
Reference Answer Rationale
6
7
This shows a strong production orientation given the focus on the firms capabilities
(same color car).
8
A sales orientation is based on pushing products to customers, while a market
7
orientation is based on satisfying customer needs while meeting organizational
objectives.
11
The customer needs to determine the benefits and the sacrifices; these perceptions
cannot be defined by the marketer.
18
Marketing is generally the responsibility of every employee in a company.
18
Between one-fourth and one-third of the workforce is engaged in marketing activities,
one of the most common types of activities in American business.
AGREE/DISAGREE SOLUTIONS
(question number / sample answers)
1. Reason(s) to agree: In order for a firm to be marketing oriented, it must operate efficiently (production
orientation) and use aggressive selling techniques to push products through distribution channels.
Reason(s) to disagree: Maintaining a production orientation or a sales orientation can actually hurt the
firms marketing efforts. If too much focus is given to production or sales, the firm will lost focus on
customer satisfaction, the ultimate goal of marketing.
2.
Reason(s) to agree: An organization with a marketing orientation must ensure that all employeesand
especially those who are in direct contact with customersunderstand that the firms goal is to satisfy
customer needs. Organizations such as Nordstroms, Disney, and Southwest Airlines understand this
concept well, and all employees are trained in delivering good customer service.
Reason(s) to disagree: Though this concept sounds good, it is not practical. By making marketing
everyones job, no one in the organization has accountability for marketing. While customer service can
be delivered by everyone, there are many other aspects of marketing--such as promotion, planning, and
marketing research--that require the expertise of a trained marketing department.
3.
Reason(s) to agree: Marketing professionals are known for their creativity in coming up with new product
ideas, new promotional ideas, and new ways of reaching consumers. Certainly the advertising world an
essential part of marketing is based on innovation and creativity.
Reason(s) to disagree: Creativity can take many forms, including problem-solving. It does not always
require innovation or coming up with new ideas.
MULTIPLE-CHOICE SOLUTIONS
Q#
1.
2.
Correct
Answer
c
b
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
20
Text
Reference Answer Rationale
6
Marketing must involve at least two parties in order for an exchange to occur.
6
Exchange involves the trade of items of value but does not necessarily involve formal
organizations, profit, or money/legal tender.
6
As long as there is an organization and a client/user/customer/consumer group willing
to engage in the exchange act, then marketing activities are relevant.
6
Hiring marketing professionals is generally part of human resource management
activities, not marketing activities.
7
The production orientation is a philosophy that focuses on the internal capabilities of
the firm rather than on the desires and needs of the of the marketplace.
7
Making the cheapest product usually depends on high-volume, low-cost production
efforts; therefore, Company B has a production orientation.
7
Only the sales orientation assumes that aggressive sales techniques will sell more
products, regardless of customer desires and needs.
8
Joanne tested her idea by conducting marketing research to uncover customer needs;
9.
10.
11.
10
12.
13
13.
14.
d
e
12
18
15.
17
SCENARIO SOLUTIONS
1. False.
Because the sales agents aggressively pursue business with discounts and promotions, the company
seemed to have more of a sales orientation before 2005.
2. True
The creation of the customer database, the focus on keeping existing customers satisfied, and the
feedback process are all signs of a marketing orientation.
3. False
Sales agents still pursue new business, but existing policyholders have become important new
sources of additional income. An old saying in marketing is its cheaper to keep a current
customer than to gain a new one.
4. c
By keeping customer profiles updated and sending information about coverage needed for life
changes, the company is engaging in relationship marketing.
5. a
Before 2005, the company held a sales orientation, which targets the mass market (everybody)
without taking into account different needs. Everybody would include people with high incomes,
people who already have insurance, etc.
6. d
All the choices reflect a marketing orientation.
7.
New marketing materials could describe the companys new external customer focus by
emphasizing customer value, customer satisfaction, and building relationships. In the copy about
building relationships, you could describe the companys customer-oriented personnel, how the
personnel are trained (indicating their high level of expertise), how employees are empowered to
help customers right away, and how the company stresses teamwork.
ESSAY QUESTION SOLUTIONS
1. The textbooks definition of marketing is: 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 stakeholders.
(text p. 6 )
2.
The production orientation focuses firms on their internal production capabilities rather than the desires and
needs of the marketplace.
The sales orientation assumes that buyers resist purchasing items that are not essential, and that buyers will
purchase more of any item if aggressive selling techniques are used. Again, this orientation does not address
the needs and wants of the marketplace.
The marketing orientation is dependent on the customer's decision to purchase a product and provides
increased responsiveness to customer needs and wants.
The societal marketing orientation refines the marketing orientation by stating that the social and economic
justification for an organization's existence is the satisfaction of customer wants and needs while meeting the
organization's objectives and preserving or enhancing both the individual's and society's long -term best
interests.
(text pp. 6-9)
21
3.
Five key areas in which a market orientation differs from a sales orientation are as follows:
The organizations focus: A market orientation has an outward focus based on the wants and
preferences of customers, while a sales orientation has an inward focus based on the organizations
needs.
The firms business: A market orientation defines business as satisfying customer needs and delivering
value, while a sales orientation defines business as selling goods and services.
Those to whom the product is directed: A market orientation targets specific groups of people who have
needs for products, while a sales orientation targets everybody in order to maximize short-term sales.
The firms primary goal: A market orientation has the goal of gaining profit through customer
satisfaction, while a sales orientation has the goal of gaining profit through maximum sales volume.
Tools the organization uses to achieve goals: A market orientation achieves goals through coordinated
marketing and interfunctional activities, while a sales orientation achieves goals through intensive
promotion.
(text pp. 9-17)
4.
Your answers will vary, depending on which career you choose. As youve probably seen, even if you are not
ultimately interested in a marketing career, you probably have had some marketing experience.
(text p. 27)
APPLICATION SOLUTIONS
Not all questions require solutions. Those that do are listed below:
2.
Elements that would make a Web site seem marketing-oriented include: 1) an assumption that most Web site
viewers are seen as potential customers or the target market; 2) the Web site seems more focused on the
wants, needs and preferences of customers rather than on selling product; 3) the Web site is not targeted at
everyone; its targeted at specific groups of people (you may not even be part of the target market); 4) the Web
sites features promotions that appeal to the target market; and 5) the Web site uses colorful graphics that are
appealing to the target market. There may be other elements that make the Web site seem more marketingoriented.
Recall that the marketing orientation is dependent on the customer's decision to purchase a product and
provides increased responsiveness to customer needs and wants.
4.
Elements that may make the Web site appear NOT to be marketing-oriented are: 1) a focus on investors, not
on consumers; 2) a focus on the internal elements of the company, such as employment or general company
information; 3) a strong focus on the product features but not the product benefits; etc.
Recall that the production orientation focuses firms on their internal production capabilities rather than the
desires and needs of the marketplace.
The sales orientation assumes that buyers resist purchasing items that are not essential, and that buyers will
purchase more of any item if aggressive selling techniques are used. Again, this orientation does not address
the needs and wants of the marketplace.
The societal marketing orientation refines the marketing orientation by stating that the social and economic
justification for an organization's existence is the satisfaction of customer wants and needs while meeting the
organization's objectives and preserving or enhancing both the individual's and society's long -term best
interests.
(text pp. 6-9)
22