Marketing and advertising: distinguishing the differences.

• Author: Mason, Ron "Cat"
• Position: Marketing Works

Marketing and advertising are completely different entities. According to the Webster Dictionary, marketing is: "The business activity of presenting products or services in such a way as to make them desirable." Advertising is: "The public promotion of something such as a product, service, business, or event in order to attract or increase interest in it."

FACILITATING EXCHANGES

Marketing is meant to persuade, whereas advertising is made for a call to action. Marketing keeps you in the mindshare of customers so as to keep them coming back for your product or service. Advertising allows the sales strategy to sell a product or service that first and foremost fulfills the wants and needs of consumers. When customers' wants and needs are fulfilled profits follow.

Marketing is broken down into several components, including market research, advertising, media planning, public relations, distribution, customer support, sales strategy, product pricing and feedback from customers.

Marketing should support advertising in order for it to be more effective. Primarily marketing, if done correctly, will generate sales leads. Marketing creates an identity of your business so prospective customers will want to buy your product or use your services. Marketing takes time and can involve hours of research for a marketing plan to be effective. Think of marketing as everything an organization does to facilitate an exchange between business and the consumer.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Effective marketing will generate new customers by making them aware of your business. Knowing the difference between marketing and advertising lets businesses become and stay successful. Marketing is not an overnight activity; it takes time and can involve in-depth research for a marketing plan to be utilized effectively. Think of marketing as whatever an organization does to make it possible for an exchange of product or services between a company and their consumers.

Implementation of an effective marketing plan needs to be done on a consistent basis, only 1 percent to 3 percent of the population at any given time is interested in buying a product or a service. Marketing...