Marketing Made Simple

12	Broader issues in marketing

12.1 Introduction

Marketing attracts condemnation owing to a misunderstanding of its meaning. Marketing orientation puts customers at the centre of business. It grew out of sales orientation whose philosophy is to sell by any means and is associated with ‘sharp practice’. Social observers question the ethics of marketing, because in a world of finite resources, it is contended that we might be devoting too much to the fulfilment of material needs by creating unnecessary wants. They argue that resources spent on competitive advertising, branding and packaging are wasteful.

Marketing is not only a business practice. It is a social influence that is used to improve the quality of life in its widest sense. ...