The essence and functions of marketing management. Marketing management and its place in organization management

The modern economic world has become much more dynamic than it was just a few decades ago. The time to replace some goods and services with others has accelerated significantly; some product lines are replaced by others in literally two to three years. And in markets such as fashion apparel, footwear, computers, mobile devices, software and computer games, updates occur in even shorter time intervals.

Dynamic changes in technology and technology cause significant movements in the redistribution of consumer demand and financial flows. The obsolescence of many product groups for businesses and end consumers sometimes occurs so quickly that competing companies do not have time to rebuild their trade, marketing and production policies to suit new economic trends.

This means that product life cycles are significantly shortened, and in order to maintain their market share, manufacturers have to intensify research and development. This requires additional financial resources and constant intensive market research, on the basis of which innovative products are prepared. Competition The loser is the enterprise that lags behind the industry average rhythm of product line updates and is inferior in marketing research and development to other market players.

The concept is based on this theoretical platform marketing management, which states that business management should be carried out not intuitively or by trial and error, but on the basis of observation of the market, trends in current and future demand. Only research and analysis of market conditions can become a reliable starting point for effective management company (see Fig. 1).

Thus, the emphasis in the concept of marketing management (for example, F. Kotler) is shifted to external environment, to research the future demand of businesses and end consumers. The research results serve as the basis for restructuring the production, product and management structure of the company, the formation of new divisions and labor collectives. It is assumed that by keeping a finger on the pulse of the market, company leaders will be able to confidently manage innovation and risk.

The idea of ​​combining the concepts of marketing and enterprise management is very successful and productive in terms of theoretical approaches. However, in terms of practical implementation, fundamental difficulties that were previously hidden in the details begin to appear. For example, it is difficult to implement the concept of marketing management in practice uncertainty.

Let's say a company produces Cell phones. Several other world industry leaders are engaged in the same business, supplying smartphones and more. simple models phones to retailers. How to determine the direction of future demand? What will be in demand – expensive devices with many additional functions or relatively simple devices? What will consumers prefer - design, minimal size, functionality or some new properties?

Marketing research can only partially remove this uncertainty. The consumer cannot accurately determine at an abstract level during surveys without seeing the corresponding models before his eyes and without experiencing their properties. This is where strategic mistakes in management arise. For example, the company’s management, based on the results of surveys and focus groups, makes a decision to strengthen the block software, memory expansion and processor power. Large sums are allocated for these purposes Money deducted by the company from its own profits or by attracting bank loans.

After new smartphone models are manufactured and put on sale, it turns out that they are being bought sluggishly, R&D costs are not recouped, as a result of which the business quickly loses its competitiveness.

Thus, the risks associated with introducing an innovative product to the market cannot be completely mitigated even with high-quality marketing research. Unpleasant surprises can come from competitors who have introduced new models of their smartphones to the market, which appeared at the very latest last moment new technologies or OS, newfangled design, hidden defects in an innovative product or any other circumstances that affect demand.

In system marketing research market, any errors, unnoticed trends, incorrect interpretations may appear - and then assumed by the company innovation risks turn out to be excessive. Like Nokia, you can go from being a world market leader to becoming an outsider in two or three years by betting on the wrong areas.

On the other hand, it is also impossible to do nothing to introduce innovations - we are all familiar with the sad story of the Kodak company, which underestimated the potential for the development of photographic equipment based on microelectronics. Remaining in analogue photography, the former giant of the international photo industry lost its position in a matter of years, declaring bankruptcy.

To summarize what has been said, we note that the concept of marketing management, with all its internal logic and validity of approaches, in practice encounters certain difficulties associated with the uncertainty of the development of future demand and its direction across product groups.

Marketing as an integral system of the nth level in the management system needs management. In order to reveal the essence of the concept of “marketing management”, it is necessary to once again turn to the essence of its components, to the basics of their relationship.)

(With development market relations, with their formation, the concepts of “marketing” and “management” firmly enter our lives. Marketing is a complex phenomenon that covers a huge spectrum various types human activity(from industry to political struggle and from sports to social movements). Because of this, it does not fit into one phrase; as is known, there are over 2000 definitions of the concept of “marketing”, which reflect all the specifics, nuances of various types of human activity, and features of economic development.

[In its original sense, marketing meant the sale of goods for which there is a sufficient market, so that sales efforts were largely limited to distribution work. As the market became saturated, enterprises were forced to carry out more systematic sales efforts. The understanding of marketing has changed. Currently, marketing can be interpreted, firstly, as a principle of enterprise behavior, which consists in the consistent direction of all market-related decisions towards the requirements and needs of consumers and buyers (marketing as a principle of enterprise management); secondly, marketing means efforts to gain advantages from consumers over competitors through a set of special market activities (marketing as a means); thirdly, marketing can be described as a systematic search for solutions based on modern tools (marketing as a method). Marketing is understood today as the expression of a market-oriented management style of thinking, characterized by creative, systematic and often aggressive approaches.

Thus, next to the term “marketing” the verb “manage” begins to appear. We use it for all areas and types of activities without exception where management as such is required. We are used to it and do not feel any particular inconvenience, although we understand perfectly well that it is unlikely that all the techniques and methods with which an enterprise is managed can be effectively used in managing the activities of parliament; Driving a car is really the same as managing a team. This is probably why the following division has been introduced in English-speaking countries:

“to manage”, to manage in the economic sphere (company, store, wholesale warehouse, etc.);

"to governe", to govern in political sphere(government, regional leadership, etc.);

"to control", to manage in the field of technology (machines, technical complexes etc.).

The evolution of marketing management can be distinguished within the framework historical development and practical use1 (Table 1.1).

Essence, content, purpose and objectives of marketing management

F. Kotler, marketing management is the process of planning and implementing concepts for pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services, aimed at implementing exchanges that satisfy both individual and organizational goals.

Marketing management takes place if at least one of the parties to a potential exchange develops and uses means of achieving the expected recall of counterparties. Therefore, the American marketing school views marketing management as the art and science of selecting target markets, retaining and attracting new consumers through the creation, delivery and implementation of communications for the values ​​that matter to them2.

In domestic and Russian literature on marketing, the term marketing management is sometimes translated as marketing management, which is often given a special meaning, i.e. we're talking about about the management of all company activities on the principles of marketing - about the use of marketing as a management philosophy, when all divisions of the company plan and evaluate their activities from a marketing perspective. That is, marketing management is considered as the management of all functions of an enterprise (general and individual) and all structural divisions based on marketing. Moreover, management and marketing do not contradict each other. If management sets goals, generates resources, and then evaluates the results, then marketing is a means of achieving certain goals, and marketing management is a component of the management system as a whole.

So, marketing management takes place when the management of an organization is built on the principles of marketing, i.e. when the center of the organization is placed on the buyer (consumer) and the marketing and management system combines all efforts in order to better satisfy the needs and demands of the parties involved in the exchange. In addition, marketing management considers marketing and management inseparably, which also interpenetrate and complement each other.

In practice, even in developed countries market economy This is not always the case, and there are many organizations in which, given the specifics of their activities, market characteristics, preferences and beliefs of management, marketing plays a much more modest role in their activities. However, most organizations in any case have employees (services) who are involved in marketing, although the concept of marketing has not become dominant for the organization as a whole. The term “marketing management” in the above interpretation does not cover all levels of application of the marketing concept (from the single use of elements of the marketing mix, such as advertising, to the consideration of marketing as a philosophy of managing an organization), although it is necessary to manage marketing activities in all these cases. Therefore, the most correct term, covering all levels of use of the marketing concept, is “marketing activity management” or its simplified analogue “marketing management”.

The following arguments can also be given to confirm the legitimacy of using the term “marketing management”. Based on the semantic principle, the following functions of production and economic activity are distinguished: R&D (research and development work), production, supply, distribution, marketing, finance, etc. Terms such as R&D management, production management, distribution management, financial management and, accordingly, marketing management. To summarize, it can be noted that if you do not look for any special meaning in the concept of marketing management (which it does not have), then it can be translated both as “marketing management” and as “marketing management”. These terms are essentially synonymous. However, due to these reasons, the latter period has some advantage.

Note

Market nature of marketing management concept trading company Ukraine manifests itself, firstly, in studying customer requests and adapting the range of goods and services on the market. Secondly, it is vital for marketers to take into account market laws and restrictions. Third, marketing strategy has a competitive orientation and changes mainly depending on the state of market conditions and the level of competition. Fourth, marketers often operate in conditions of uncertainty and high risk. Fifthly, marketing activities focused on a high final result of the government1.

Marketing management can be considered as management:

Activities;

Function;

By demand.

Marketing management as activity management is a change in the way of thinking - making all management decisions taking into account market requirements, the constant ability to change market requirements, that is, it is not only an enterprise’s orientation towards internal capabilities, but also accounting external conditions. That is, enterprise management is truly moving towards an open system. All this means:

Improving both technical and consumer parameters of the product;

When pricing, taking into account not only production and sales costs, but also the price level of competitors, demand for goods, etc.;

Consideration of packaging as an active means of promoting goods;

Defining success not only by technological achievements, but also by the level of satisfaction of market needs, etc.

The mechanism of marketing management is the development of complex communication links. This is not only a focus on the goods market and making money, but mainly a focus on the market and obtaining feedback for making effective management decisions regarding the production, financial, sales and administrative actions of the enterprise.

The functional direction of marketing management is associated with close contacts in the market through the marketing function with production, supply and sales, financial, administrative and other functions of the enterprise. making a profit. Marketing management must timely identify market needs and, based on the mobilization of the actual and potential capabilities of the enterprise, satisfy them.

This can only be done if all functional divisions of the enterprise are fully focused on achieving its market goals.

Responsible top managers, functional managers, and marketing managers, in achieving their goals, must include demand management in the marketing management process, which involves creating a market and forming a new perception in the market.

F. Kotler writes: “In essence, marketing management is demand management.” The demand management mechanism consists of certain means, instruments and connections, which include the components of the marketing mix: product, price, place of distribution and promotion. Moreover, as practice shows, the use of the complex marketing activities effective for using not only opportunities, but also market requirements. In demand management, it is all up to the product manager to leverage the capabilities of the target market to market the product. Regarding the third area, it relates to a greater extent to partnership marketing.

To summarize, it should be noted that marketing management should be understood as the targeted coordination and formation of all company activities related to market activity at the level of the enterprise, market and society as a whole and are based on the principles of marketing.

The methodological basis of the science of marketing management is the following approaches:

1) systemic - considering processes as systems, that is, combining into one whole the elements necessary to achieve a certain goal;

2) comprehensive - the unity of organizational, economic, social, legal, psychological and other aspects of management;

3) optimization - requires first a quantitative determination of the parameters of marketing management, and then the development of mathematical models of optimization;

4) situational (applied) - the actions of the organization and its leader should depend on the current state of the internal and external environment(context) of the company.

The goal of marketing management is the marketing orientation of management, which makes it possible to more effectively satisfy needs through exchange and obtain the planned result. This focus predetermines the specificity of analysis, planning, organization, motivation, implementation and control of the functions of marketing management, and not management in general.

The main task of marketing management is to achieve a sense of satisfaction on all sides of the exchange.

The subject of marketing management can be defined as a system of industrial relations that guides management modern production to meet the needs of consumers by creating a continuous “manufacturer-consumer” chain, each link of which contributes to increasing value for the final buyer. At the same time, a set of laws of market production, specific techniques, tools and methods are used that form the methodology of the science of marketing management and its logic.

The object of marketing management is the volume and structure of demand.

For a long time, there has been a debate among specialists about what place marketing occupies in an organization’s management system.

At first, marketing was defined as one of the most important management functions, which was the reaction of practical management to its increasing role. If the marketing service of an organization is a simple functional unit, then we are talking about marketing management.

At the same time, the model of marketing management at enterprises contains systematically and comprehensively interconnected elements (Fig. 1.1).

Rice. 1.1. V

The concept of marketing management assumes a focus on market needs, a strategic approach and a focus on long-term commercial success and is based on management functions, targeted, comprehensive and systematic approaches to the implementation of all management activities, including ideas, goods, services as main categories. In addition, it is “a system of scientifically based ideas about the patterns of production and marketing activities of enterprises, organizations or individuals in a market economy.”

Note

If we turn to the concept of marketing management, it should be noted that for our market it is necessary, first of all, to focus on the concepts of improving production and goods. Of course, we are not belittling the importance of intensifying commercial efforts and social and ethical marketing, but the emphasis should be on the production of competitive goods.

A distinctive feature of marketing management is the program-target approach. The target orientation of all elements of marketing management is aimed at the consumer, at solving problems that arise (or are possible in the future) for potential buyers. For each goal established at the enterprise, it is necessary to develop marketing programs that should ensure its achievement. Modern enterprises who have “adopted” marketing management should all management decisions on the formation of product policy, the entire range of measures for the implementation of its activities, based on the results of a study of customer requests, market and marketing opportunities.