Advertising

Paid promotion of a company, or service, product or program offering. Most effective when used to gain mind share.

Brand identity

A company, product, or brand image or how it is perceived.

Branding

The process of creating an identity for a company, product, service or program. Done effectively, the image or identity resonates on multiple levels and captures the differentiation.

Cross-selling

Selling multiple offerings to one customer

Customer experience management

The process of coordinating all aspects of a customer’s interaction with a company. Done well, it reinforces the brand identity

Customer relationship management

Usually software-based, used to generate targeted approaches to customers based on their behavior with a company.

Marketing

Bringing a product or service to the market. A broad field that is influenced by psychology, sociology, and economics. Involves market research, value proposition definition, and customer experience management through the “four P’s”—product (development), price (strategy), promotion and placement

Marketing plan

Includes activities and strategies that are designed to make products or services available that satisfy customers, while making profits for the companies that offer those products or services.

Marketing strategy

The philosophy and approach used to guide a marketing plan. Usually developed from analysis of the company and its competitive environment.

Offering

What an organization offers its target market; usually a product, service or program.

Placement

One of the four main categories of marketing activities. How a product is made available to customers through sales and distribution. Can include distribution channel, shelf position, competitive positioning, availability.

Pricing Strategies

One of the four main categories of marketing activities. How offerings are priced, such as value-based or cost-based strategies.

Product development

One of the four main categories of marketing activities. Refers to all types of offering development—service, product or program. Done effectively, it ensures that an offering is truly meeting customers needs, rather than functioning as a solution looking for a problem.

Product launch

Introducing a new product to the market.

Promotion

One of the four main categories of marketing activities, but often perceived as the sole focus of marketing efforts. Promotion includes publicity, public relations, advertising, word-of-mouth, and sales.

Public relations

A type of marketing promotion. Use of any marketing communications tools to influence, advocate, and persuade.

Publicity

A type of marketing promotion. Disseminating information to generate significant public attention. Most effective when used to share information. Tactics include contests, surveys, walkathons, issuing predictions, awards, hosting conferences, art shows, events.

Sales

A key component of product placement. The final step in marketing—getting the customer to buy. Often seen as a field separate from marketing.

Sales market

The parameters that segment buyers as groups. Can be geographic, economic, industry, profession, size, maturity, etc.

Sales promotion

A type of marketing promotion. Incentives to motivate buyers. Best used to impact immediate sales for a short term. Tactics include coupons, discounts, sales, contests, point of purchase displays, rebates, reseller/collaborator incentives

Strategic Marketing

Intelligent marketing driven by essential big-picture, outcome-focused thinking.

Unique selling proposition

A verbal or visual message used in advertising that demonstrates a unique benefit to the customer that is not offered by competitors and is significant enough to influence customers.

Value proposition

The value one proposes one offers, usually to customers. Read more.

Value-based pricing

A pricing strategy based on the customer’s perception of value.

Word-of-mouth

A type of marketing promotion. Information spread through a third party. Best used to generate credibility.