What Needs to be Done

Marketing is the transferring of goods from producers to consumers. Marketing a new product may seem simple, but actually finding consumers to buy the product and getting it to them requires marketing managers to overcome many hurdles. Some of these hurdles, such as the market structure, cannot be changed but must be understood; others simply require time and hard work to overcome. One of the first issues managers or owners must decide is which area is best suited to their interests, experiences and expertise.

 

Production

Production is developing new products or modifying existing ones, organizing production schedules, and keeping equipment operational. It includes buying decisions about equipment, whether to buy new or used, and what equipment is actually needed to produce the products.

 

Marketing

Marketing involves collecting information, analyzing alternative market outlets, developing different product forms, pricing products to compete in the marketplace, deciding the scope of the proposed market area and meeting  onsumers’ needs at the right prices.

 

Procurement

Procurement is contracting with sellers of inputs, maintaining an adequate supply for production and scheduling deliveries to the local plant.

 

Labor management

Labor managers hire and supervise employees to obtain optimum production and maintain good working relationships. It is difficult for one person to satisfactorily do everything, such as making decisions concerning production, marketing, procurement and labor management. Without concerted effort and attention to all details, the chances of success are lowered. A management decision to organize production and separate marketing activities for each new product is often the difference between success and failure.

 

The marketing manager should concentrate on marketing plans that will best serve the company and reach the  most consumers, because these are the centerpieces of the marketing process. A good marketing plan should identify problems or hurdles to overcome and collect the kind of information needed to solve them.