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$a Marketing Today A Basic Approach Marketing Today has been written as a basic textbook for two types of students -those who want some knowledge of the activities involved in the flow of goods and services from producers to consumers as part of their general education and those planning a career in marketing.What each of these groups needs most, as beginning students, is a wellrounded first course that provides maximum exposure to the role of marketing in the economy and in the firm. To achieve this exposure, Marketing Today prents both an overview of the marketing process and a detailed description Of major marketing institutions and functions. It also links the work of marketing, to the Nvider environment by examining the responsibilities of marketers to :-,r societv from the point of view of consumerists and the law. addition, the particular approach and format of the book have evolved desire to: first, strike a proper balance between traditional and emerging marketing topics
second, provide a management orientation
third, deal directly with sensitive issues in marketing
and fourth, keep the student interest and motivate further study.-_er to achieve a proper balance of material, a basic textbook must: only traditional subjects such as retailing, wholesaling, and physical a but other, developing areas as well. Thus, separate chapters are PREFACEdevoted to the marketing of services (Chapter 24), marketing to the goverment (Chapter 25), international marketing in an era of multinational cor-porations (Chapter 26), and the measurement of marketing efficiency (Chapter 291. Parts 2,3, and 4 discuss not only the traditional problems of satisfying the demand for products but the modern emphasis on discovering and creatingdemand. Every student, by the time he reaches college, has had some exposure to the marketing process as a consumer. But his contact with the inner workings of the business world is limited. Marketing Today seeks to expand the student s knowledge of marketing and business by examining problems and goals from a management point of vlew. Thus it considers how the typical marketing manager might react to situations and the decisions he must make Certain topics, of course, such as the social and legal obligations of marketers must also be approached from a societal point of view. Nor should we forget that a good marketing manager is, today more than ever, highly customer oriented.The managerial orientation of Marketing Today has been strengthened by including in each chapter a description of the "Marketing Strategy " used to solve a real marketing problem. The types of problems selected for review are intentionally varied. They range from a discussion of how The Coca-Cola Company expanded its product line to an analysis of how the Xerox Corporation turned a product nobody wanted into the product everybody u anted.Conflicts between business and social goals make many aspects of marketing controversial. chapter 27 (The Social Responsibilities of Marketing) and Chapter 28 (Legislative Considerations in Marketing) treat the major areas of conflict in detail. Marketing Toclay also deals directly with sensiti e issues through the "contemporary controversies " in each chapter. The issues chosen for discussion here range from marketing policies whose advantages and disadvantages are widely debated (such as the use of sex in advertising) to social goals whose effects on marketing are arguable (such as zero population grorvth). Arguments for and against these policies and goals are given, but no attempt is made to identify one side as "right. " Instead, the student is encour-aged to work out his own conclusions.To achieve its goal of keeping the student interested, Marketing Today stresses the extent to which the everyday world is a marketing laboratory, inrvhich many lessons can be learned by observation and experimentation. The laboratory concept is expanded by the two "Laboratory Assignments " at the end of each chapter. The student s interest is also engaged by a series of twenty-nine ,,Marketing Profiles "-brief biographies of men or women who achieved outstanding success in a particular area of marketing (as Henry Dreyfuss did in product design) or a particular industry (as Mary Wells Lawrence did in advertising) or who, in some "vay, had an important effect onmarketing practices (as wright Patman did.through legislation). These "Marketing Profiles " are used to underscore the point that people, not corporations, make marketing decisions. By illustrating the extent to which an understanding of marketing is a basic requirement for successful management, they motivate further studY.Marketing Toclay also contains another innovative feature designed to stimulate student interest-eight "Marketing Milestones, " short histories of important but often taken-for-granted steps in the evolution of marketing and business practice.The two appendixes provide a brief review of some accounting and arithmetical tools used in marketing and a convenient glossary of marketing terms.Many individuals, ranging from graduate students to my colleagues at Georgia State University and other academic institutions to senior business executives, contributed ideas, suggestions, and materials to Marketing Today.The following persons, in particular, provided invaluable long-term support.Professor Eleanor Brantley Schwartz of The Cleveland State University helped conceptualize the spirit of eclecticism found in the book and contrib-uted to the development of the "Contemporary Controversies " and other supplementary materials.Eudora Rodgers, a close associate in my consulting work for many years, was involved in every facet of Marketing Today from conception to publication. She also provided invaluable assistance in the preparation of the instructor s manual.Dr. John S. Wright of Georgia State University provided continual encour- agement and frequent assistance, particularly in the preparation of the "Marketing Profiles. " His twenty years of close personal and professional friendship have signiflcantly influenced the philosophy that underlies the text. Susan Baylen and Brenda Hemperley helped prepare the manuscript for the publisher. Joyce Speck deserves a special tribute for the rvay she managed the clerical side of the project, and I shall always remain grateful for her constant dedication and skill.I would like to express my deep appreciation to all those rvho r vorked on the book with me and who will, I hope, be rervarded by the knorvledge thatMarketing Today is helping its readers to take advantage of the opportunities of marketing tomorrow.yl
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