A new definition of marketing

Oh dear God. A new definition of marketing.

Its taken 30 years, and folks are up in arms. The UK Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) new (draft) definition of marketing definitely swaps brevity for verbosity; and I am not convinced.

Old: ‘The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.’

New: ‘The strategic business function that creates value by stimulating, facilitating and fulfilling customer demand. It does this by building brands, nurturing innovation, developing relationships, creating good customer service and communicating benefits. By operating customer-centrically, marketing brings positive return on investment, satisfies shareholders and stake-holders from business and the community, and contributes to positive behavioural change and a sustainable business future.’

Hmmmmm. Not sure either? Tell you what, wanna read the 3000 treaty that is supporting (justifying) the change. Thought not.

Its called ‘Tomorrow’s Word: Re-evaluating the Role of Marketing’. Apparently (according to the treaty) whilst marketing has become more sophisticated, ‘its status with the customer and the rest of the business has never been lower’. Rubbish.

The reason why marketing gets a bad name is because ‘professors’ and bodies like the CIM insist in over complicating the discipline, being verbose, and circling the basics. Here’s my primary problem. Just count how many ideas are in the new definition alone. There’s at least a dozen. And does the wording deal with marketing as a function or a process, or both?

If you want to go deep - write a manifesto. If you want to write a definition (does the world really need a definition, is it possible that one size doesn’t fit all?) - keep it sweet.

Here is the US Marketing Society’s definition, ‘The creation of customer demand, which is the only sustainable form of growth in business.’

The definition from the American Marketing Association (AMA), the US equivalent to the CIM, reads: ‘Marketing is an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its stakeholders.’

That’s seems better.

OMG! as the CIM plans its tour of the UK to canvass opinion on the proposed change among its membership, I can safely say “that’s a tour bus I’m glad I’m not on.”

And while a definition is sought like some kind of holy grail, I’ll just try and keep doing what I think is right - with my own personal definition of marketing:

• Making products and services remarkable
• Thinking about marketing as not about the art of tricking people into buying stuff they don’t need, but about spreading ideas that people love
• Always trying to do stuff that is anticipated, personal and relevant

And most importantly, remembering that even if I think I’m in charge, I’m not. The customer makes up the rules (and definitions) and can change them when she wants, as quickly as she wants.