Marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities discover the newly-identified needs and wants that may be satisfied by a certain selection of products and services over others. In Cyprus and Greece there are many who offer these services.

Marketing is defined by the American Marketing Association as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The term developed from the original meaning which referred literally to going to market, as in shopping, or going to a market to buy or sell goods or services.

Another method and commonly used description is: "The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.

Marketing practice tended to be seen to rest in the creative industry in the past, which included advertising, distribution and selling. But in the last few decades it has become more established in business and science schools. For instance one gets a Msc in Marketing. The trend in Cyprus and Greece to classiffy Marketing as a business related industry although it is heavely involved in the Creative Industry aswell.

The overall process starts with marketing research and goes through market segmentation, business planning and execution, ending with pre and post-sales promotional activities. It is also related to many of the creative arts. The marketing literature is also infamous for re-inventing itself and its vocabulary according to the times and the culture.

Article written by Theo Vancl