What is Marketing?

By FH Cooper | Leave a Comment

Allen Dib*

Here is the most jargon-free, definition of marketing you’re every likely to come across.

 

• If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying, “Circus Coming to Showground Saturday, that’s advertising.

 

• If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion.

 

• If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed and the local newspaper writes a story about it, that’s publicity.

 

• And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.

 

• If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales.

 

• And if you planned the whole thing, that’s marketing.

 

*Allen Dib is a serial entrepreneur, rebellious marketer, technology expert, and author of The One Page Marketing Plan.