buyer, be it an individual, a household or an organization. Products are also generalised to include all goods, services, places, people and ideas. In recent times, the broad nature of marketing has lead to acceptance of the following definition. “Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organisational goals” (Czinkota et. al, 2000, pg. 8). Simply, modern marketing includes everything from conception to consumption of an idea. Marketing stimuli consists of the four P’s – product, price, place and promotion (Kotler & Armstrong, 1996, pg. 143). In relation to this mix, marketers must first understand how buyers’ characteristics influence perception of products, and secondly, how buyers make decisions. Consumer behaviour includes the studies of any behaviour, internal or external, mental and physical, that influence purchase. Consumer motivation is simply a drive to achieve goals, to satisfy needs and wants. A need being, “Any unsatisfactory condition of the consumer that leads him or her to action that will make the condition better”, while wants are, “desires to obtain more satisfaction than is absolutely necessary” (Czinkota et. al, 2000, pg. 138). Maslow's Theory of Motivation sought to explain why consumers are driven by needs. Maslow suggested consumer needs are arranged in a hierarchy. A person will try to satisfy the most important need before attempting to satisfy the next. From this model, all consumers will attempt, in a world of scarcity, to best fill needs from basic physiological up to self-actualising needs (Kotler & Armstrong, 1996). In third world countries, a basic need would be fire to cook meals. In developed countries, it could be argued that time is a scarce resource and microwave ovens are needed. A Hyundai may be all that is ‘needed’ for transport to work, but an executive may ‘want’ a BMW, given the different consumer needs and wants. Due to this human factor, demand for products will never be uniform locally, much less on a global scale. Potential consumers will react differently depending on a host of issues including culture, genetics, climate and economics. These and many more physical and mental aspects of consumers and their environment fall within the realm of marketing. In all but the strictest command economies, there exists the fundamental human right of freedom. Consumers are free to make decisions - needs and wants are not pre-determined by government. If, as consumers, a need or want is perceived, human beings posses the ability to make decisions, whether based on perception or attitude, and albeit, affected by moods or peers – no one by law can force a consumer to purchase. Concept 1: The Marketing Concept Marketing is based on the principle of exchange where interested parties exchange something of value. When Adam Smith stated, “Consumption is the sole end and purpose of production”, he was describing what in recent times has become known as the marketing concept (McDonald & Keegan, 1997, pg. 1). Marketing is not simply involved with advertising, selling and promotion; it is a complex process involved with conception through to final consumption of the product. The marketing concept has been adapted to suit a range of organisations, be they involved primarily in retail, wholesale, service, profit or non-profit, large or small. There are five alternative concepts under which organizations conduct their marketing activities: the production, product, selling, marketing and social marketing concepts (Kotler & Armstrong, 1996, pg. 14). Of these, selling and marketing concepts are relatively similar and often confused. While both these concepts have contrasting beginnings, profit is the ultimate aim, albeit volume versus customer satisfaction. As opposed to sales, the marketing concept is based on three fundamentals, firstly, t

Some topics in this essay:
Kotler Armstrong, Consumer Behaviour, Intangibility Services, Hose Ownership, McDonald Keegan, Product P`s, Uncle Toby’s, Marketing Practises, Principles Marketing, , et al, marketing mix, al 2000, et al 2000, al 2000 pg, 2000 pg, kotler armstrong 1996, et al 1994, kotler armstrong, marketing concept, armstrong 1996, 1994 pg, marketing process, czinkota et al, czinkota et,