Marketing ---- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow........

           Marketing concept has evolved over the years. It has gone through some sort of evolution to where we are today. There have been marked stages and these stages are the following:           


            Industrial revolution: at this stage specialization took place, with the industrial revolution, wages were introduced. At this stage the farmers could produce and sell to the industrial workers. The marketing and the business concept was simple at this stage but later become more complicated eventually.          


           In marketing this stage is called the production stage, it took a while and Henry Ford perfected it. He came up with the car assembly and mass market was born. At this stage there was limited choice for the customer.

           The production stage was driven by providing product as well provide availability and affordability. The marketing mix at this point had 3 Ps, the product, the place and the price. Quoting Henry Ford on Model T, he said “they can have it in any color as long as is black” this makes it clear that the customer had no choice. Such a simple quote from a business leader of the time summarizes the way the market was back then. Analyzing your business today, are at this stage or you have moved?
          
           As the market grew, a new stage came up. This stage was the product stage; it was a form of value addition to the production stage. This stage saw quality and packaging come to play. Mass market remained and the Ps were still 3, but there was some changes in the product P as quality become the most important factor. Consumers now were getting better value for their money.


            Consumers could reject your product if it did not offer quality. A product was accepted because of its benefits and better packaging. Branding was setting in. The players were many, each offering quality and well packaged products making competition stiff. 


            The stiff competition brought the need to take the products and talk about their benefits to the customers; this started a new posture called the selling posture. 


           In the selling postures the Ps increased by one new P. This new P is the promotion. Another thing came into picture; selling, and sales force becomes one single factor that determined the survival of any manufacturer. Salesmen become the most sought after, people who could move the products and beat the competition. Large sales forces denoted the power any business.


            During the selling stage, products were promoted and customers were sought to buy the manufactured products. This posture is still there and is used mostly by the affiliate programs as well as insurance companies, making the product without consulting with the customer and trying to push the product, it can be very frustrating. The business in this posture believes that there exists a department called sales and marketing. Is your business one of those still at this stage?


           The selling stage ushered in the marketing concept; this is the concept where products are made to fit with theconsumers needs. Consumers are consulted through market research and other interactive forums and products to satisfy their needs are made. Where the selling concept emphases on the product, the marketing conceptemphasizes on the customer needs.            Any business using this posture is customer oriented and instead of making the product and trying to sell it, they first understand the need and wants of the customer and produce products to satisfy those needs.


            Marketing concept is strategic in its planning; it is always planning for today and the future. This is the most important posture for any on-line business to enable is capture today’s and future market.


           Analyze your business and ask yourself which posture has your business taken. If it is not the marketing concept, then for you to survive you will need to change. Sorry if you are still at selling stage, you are old fashion.