The Role of Marketing in Organizations – By Timothy Mahea

In today’s world, the role of marketing in organizations is too important to be ignored. Large and small organizations are today competing for the same market and the most innovative and proactive have emerged victors. Today’s global economy has realised the importance of small organizations and are increasingly giving them the much needed support to sustain their growth. As a result, a company’s survival is dependent upon their wise marketing efforts coupled by financial operational among other functions within their structure.

Competition has escalated more than ever and as major inroads are achieved in the use of technology, the situation is not getting any better. Social media avenues have been intruded by organizations seeking to capture the audience with their product and service offerings. Most of them have indeed attained much success and customers are more informed than they were a few years back.

Marketing plays an important role in establishing relationships between customers and the organizations offering to the market. It gives us the confidence to want to try a new product in the market as opposed to situations where the products enter the market without publicity. This makes the marketing function critical in every organization irrespective of whether the organization is a profit or non-profit centred. Marketing shapes the image of the organization, how people associate the organizations products or services and indeed give people the confidence about their products or services.

When it come to the profit led organizations, marketing is responsible for the increase in revenue and by extension increase in the organizations profitability. In addition, the function also helps growing of the customer/clientele base for the organization. This is especially so when the organization is dealing with more of corporate customers, and where decisions involve more than one party.

The marketing function is also tasked with branding of the organization, participation in publicity activities, advertising and customer interaction through feedback collection. Every product launch starts with marketing and an end with marketing where by the department establishes the needs of the consumers and after introducing the product, the department seeks to identify whether the customer’s needs were met.

Organizations are competing to be at the top of the customers mind and at the same time trying to protect their market share. Marketing is at the centre of creating customer loyalty and customer retention. As a result, the function carries out promotions, campaigns from time to time and this has been proved as a successful initiative in also attracting more customers.

Without marketing, our brands will not be illuminated and our organizations would be lifeless. Organization’s success is not only determined by the prudent application of funds to the various portfolios of investment but also by the relationship established with the customers, which is a function of marketing.