A Reflection by (name here)
The primary message that the author wants to convey to the audience is that there is more in marketing than what people normally know. It is not just simply a function performed by a corporate department nor a business activity that office staff does does on a regular basis inside the office. Marketing is a way of business as it is the blood-life of the corporate world, the principles of which it was built upon is not limited to promoting and advertising products alone. Marketing starts from ideas based on customer demand and market behavior. Most importantly, marketing identifies growth opportunity, which is crucial to any business. It explores the possibilities of new business venture and determines whether the identified opportunities will benefit the company. Therefore, marketing is a source of opportunities derived from creative ideas.
The article is basically addressed to individuals that are not engaged into marketing and those that does not appreciate its importance. Individuals that are looking forward to starting a business needs to know the importance and the essence of marketing, they need to understand how it works and who should participate in the process of assessing its profit possibilities. The reason that it appears to be addressed to non-marketing groups is the way the author explained the basics of marketing and who in the business should get closely involved. Everybody even those that are not into business should understand how marketing works because its principles are not only applied to business alone. For example, a student's goal is to pass all requirements in order to obtain his academic certificate that in return will help him finish school and anticipate a good future. However, in order to pass the student needs to accomplish requirements such as completing a thesis report or a dissertation. If the student didn't plan ahead and come up with a strong thesis to develop he wouldn't be able to sell his research ideas to his professors and eventually pass the requirement. Therefore, in a marketing point of view the student needs to think of ideas and opportunities that will make his dissertation project appealing (as the product) to his customers which are his professors.
There are several supporting details that the author have provided to his intended audience to convey the message of the essay. One is the link between generating product idea and the tail-end of the product life cycle, which is advertising and promotion including the responsibilities that each participant play in the process. Going back to the given example of a student completing his academic requirements, idea starts with thesis proposal. If the thesis proposal was approved by the professors (which is representation of the company's function areas namely R&D, finance, engineering, etc.), the student can proceed with the long process of developing the ideas. After the dissertation was completed, the role of the professors will change into customers. The final step for the student is to promote his dissertation through a defense discussion and his goal is to sell his developed thesis (the product) to his professors. Once the professors are convinced that means the student has achieved his goal to sell the idea he developed and eventually earn his profit, which is his bachelors degree certificate.
In general, the author concluded that although product development is a difficult and long process, in the end the results are enormously beneficial. Despite having the risk of the product being diluted in the process because of market competition, when marketing was done right there would be a much bigger possibility that it would be a success in the end. The author also leaves the audience with an idea that there is no better way to do business than to utilize marketing of its full potential. True enough because marketing entails growth and that has always been everybody's goal.
The author, George Gresham has cleverly presented his insights of how important marketing is not only in the field of business, but for generally for everybody. The key points of his argument was simplified in a way that even a non-business minded reader would be able to relate to his message. Having to cite an example of a student and the relationship of his goal to accomplish a dissertation to marketing creates an impression that the author was effective in conveying the main concept of marketing. The value of the message to the reader is to see marketing in a wider perspective other than a product promotional tool because marketing is where business growth happens.
