What Is Marketing

What is Marketing?

Marketing is often mistakenly identified with selling and promotion. There is actually much more to Marketing than one might realize. Most people are surprised to learn that the most important functions of the marketing professional often have little to do with selling. Marketing's major concern is satisfying customers' wants and needs. The heart of Marketing is matching supply and demand in a complex, advanced economy. Marketing consists of many activities including: identifying customer needs; developing goods and services to satisfy those needs; communicating information about products to potential customers; and logistics and distribution management, which assures that products are delivered to customers as needed.

Where the Jobs Are

The field of marketing is so large that almost any business organization may be viewed as a potential employer of the marketing professional. Estimates say approximately one third of private sector jobs are marketing related. Nonprofit organizations also have to market their products and services, and the marketing discipline addresses the special needs of such organizations. Furthermore, marketing positions often lead to top management positions. A great many of the CEO's in Fortune 1000 companies come from the ranks of marketing professionals.

The demand for marketing professionals is looking better than ever; some say that this is the best job market in history. Corporate America is not just looking for mid and senior level executives, they are flocking to college campuses focusing on entry-level recruiting more than ever before.

Career Paths

Marketing offers a wide variety of functional areas as possible directions for career seekers. Some of these are:

• Advertising
• Retailing
• Wholesaling
• Professional Sales and Sales Management
• Sales Promotion
• Logistics
• Market Research
• Product Management
• Public Relations
• Sales Support
• Purchasing Management
• Brand Management
• Marketing Communications
• Entrepreneurship

Possible Employers

Marketing is an integral part of all organizations. The possibilities are endless. The following is a list of potential employers:

• Manufacturing Firms
• Marketing Research Firms
• Transportation and Distribution Firms
• Advertising Agencies
• Equipment Manufacturers and Dealers
• Consulting Firms
• Universities (Professors/Instructors)
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Print Media (Publishers/Editors)
• Broadcast Media l Communications Firms
• Government/Military l Software/Computer Firms
• Wholesale Distributors
• Telecommunications and Other Service Firms
• Retail Firms

Marketing Program/Curriculum

The professional field in Marketing consists of 22 hours of required course work and 9 hours of supporting courses consisting of marketing electives designed to complement your career path. Some required marketing professional field courses include (but are not limited to):

• Marketing Metrics
• Marketing Research and Analytics
• Global Marketing Issues and Practices
• Consumer Behavior
• Product Planning ad Brand Management

Supporting Courses - Career Path Scheduling

Marketing majors are required to take 9 hours of supporting courses. Students are required to select 9 hours of approved upper level marketing or logistics courses. Students are encouraged to select courses that strengthen a career focus.

Professional Sales/Sales Management

Opportunities for professional sales and sales management are found in most industries. That is why we offer a concentration in Professional Selling as an option for those wishing to major in Marketing. This is a closed concentration- applicants must go through an interview process and be accepted into the Professional Selling Program to become a part of this selective major. Well paying positions with great potential for advancement are available in this field.

• Professional Selling
• Sales Management
• Channels of Distribution
• Distribution Alliances and Partnerships
• Internship/Marketing Elective