The Role of Marketing:

Marketing, not merely selling and advertising

Text and Pix by Premasara Epasinghe BA (Cey), Dip in Ed, Dip in Mktg, Public Relations and Marketing Consultant and Lecturer

Many individuals are of the opinion that Marketing means only selling and advertising. Practically, everyday, we are bombarded with so many commercials in electronic and print media and therefore the general public, have a wrong notion that they think marketing as selling and advertising. The selling and advertising are only the tip of marketing iceberg.

Marketing can be simply defined as the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationship in order to capture value from customers in return.

The people responsible for directing the efforts aimed at helping organizations achieve their goals are handled by a Manager.

The measure of how efficient and effective a Manager is, how well he or she determines and achieves appropriate objectives. Today, in the business world there are various kind of managers. Some of them are Director General Managers, Chief Executive Officers, General Managers, Deputy General Managers, Assistant General Managers, Marketing Managers etc., They should all possess humble ways, etiquette, mannerism, discipline and also leadership qualities.

What is leadership? There are many definitions. In his survey of leadership theories and research Ralph M Stogdill states in a nut-shell – Leadership is the process of directing and influencing the task related activities of group members. To cut a long story short, leadership involves (1) Other people (2) Power between leaders and group members (3) Ability to use the different forms of power to influence followers (4) Combines the first three that leadership is about values.

Marketing can be considered as the study of exchange process, how transactions are initiated, motivated, facilitated and consummated. Marketing is something linked with our daily lives. Broadly defined, marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging value with others.

We can define marketing as the process by which companies create value for customers and build a very strong customer relationship in order to capture value from customers in return.

The basic concept of marketing is that of humane needs. One must select the target markets. To achieve this, marketing management is vital.

It is the art and science of choosing the target markets and building profitable relationships.

Managers – plan, schedule, motivate and control. The various types of managers are there, because they fill special needs.

What are the roles of the Managers?

The marketing manager specializes in distributing product or services. The production manager specializes in conversion of resources inputs to outputs. The financial manager ensures adequate funds are available to keep the organization viable.

The project manager, is unique, vital, because, he or she manages temporary, non-repetitive activities and frequently acts independently of the formal organization.

The success of any organization will always depend on the team-work of the managers. They must be committed to their jobs and consider the institution that they represent are their prestige and honour.

In modern marketing, customer relationship management is the most challenging concept. Till recently CRM has been defined as customer data management activity. If analyze, in the broader sense, CRM is overall process of building and maintaining profitable customer relationship, which transmit superior customer value and satisfaction. Customer satisfaction depend on the product or services perceived performance. If it falls short of expectations, customers are dissatisfied.

It is the duty of the marketing division to go out of their way to bring business. The marketing manager or AGM (Mkt) or director marketing will be failures if they try to handle operations from an “air-conditioned room”.

They must go out, know the pulse of the people. Marketing men must be unassuming personalities, who build the image of their Institutions.

In the 1986, when Sampath Bank commenced business at the inception, I as a marketing personality went in search of customers, spoke to them politely and brought business to the bank. I still remember when the Sampath Bank Kiribathgoda was first opened, I personally visited all the shops, groceries, mercantile establishments at Kiribathgoda, spoke to them and brought business to the bank. Not only at Kiribathgoda, but even at Kurunegala and Matara, I did shop to shop and house to house campaign to capture customers. The Sampath Bank's philosophy at that time under the chairmanship of the great provincial wizard N U Jayawardene was taking banking to the customers doorstep.

Sampath Bank was the first to introduce the Electronic Teller Machine in the bank industry called SET. In fact, Sampath Bank sent me to England to commentate on the Sri Lanka-England Test and One Day Series matches played at Lords and Surrey Oval and, they advertised the SET facilities in between the live updates and commentaries.

I presume, it was Sampath Bank that first opened their branches for business till 3.00 pm. These were some innovative ideas for banking sector introduced by Sampath Bank.

All the managers should maintain a high profile in public relations. Etiquette, mannerism, your kind words will always attract customers. Your main philosophy as manager, is to serve your customer. The quick, dedicated services, the customers will always value.

The most powerful means of communication is the ‘Katakatha’ (Gossip). Bad news has wings. If you are hasty to a customer or does not serve him properly, he will transmit this “Bad Message” to various segments and due to this there will be an exodus of customers from the bank and it will be difficult to attract customers to the bank.

Good customer relationship management creates customer delight. Even after twenty-five years, I sometimes meet Sampath Bank customers, whom I have introduced to the bank.

When they talk to me I am in cloud nine. A great principle that you must always aim and follow is to create not just customer satisfaction, but also customer delight.

Recently when I delivered a lecture on “Positive Thinking” at Anuradhapura. At lunch, an elderly gentleman, a school teacher introduced himself to me and said “Sir, I still remember, when I opened my current account, on the first day at Sampath Bank, Kurunegala about 23 years ago, you attested my account. I am thankful to you. I still maintain it.”