Marketing orientation

A marketing oriented firm is one that allows the wants and needs of customers and potential customers to drive all the firm's strategic decisions. The firm's corporate culture is systematically committed to creating customer value. In order to determine customer wants, the company usually needs to conduct marketing research. The marketer expects that this process, if done correctly, will provide the company with a sustainable competitive advantage.

A marketing oriented firm will typically show the following characteristics:

• extensive use of marketing research
• broad product lines
• emphasis on a product's benefits to customers rather than on product attributes
• use of product innovation techniques
• the offering of ancillory services like credit availability, delivery, installation, and warranty

The concept of marketing orientation was developed in the late 1960's and early 1970's at Harvard University and at a hand-full of foward thinking companies. It relaced the previous sales orientation that was prevelant between the mid 1950's and the early 1970's, and the production orientation that predominated prior to the mid 1950's.

see also: marketing, sales orientation, production orientation, personal marketing orientation, marketing research, marketing management

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