A. Read the text and name the constituents of marketing.

Marketing includes the business activities connected with the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers. Sometimes it is called distribution. On the one hand, marketing is made up of such activities as transporting, storing and selling goods, and on the other hand it includes such marketing operations as product planning, marketing research, pricing and promotion selling.

Marketing is guided by two basic principles: the satisfaction of customer needs and profitability. The ultimate objective of а business corporation is to generate profits. Satisfying customer needs is а necessary condition to achieve this objective, but it may not be sufficient condition. The business-corporation must select not only the customer needs which it will satisfy, but also the actions that it should undertake to this end, in such а way that the firm is profitable.

Different business corporations operate in а large diversity of sectors such as soft drinks, detergents, pharmaceuticals, electric appliances, automobiles, computers, electronic components, machine tools, banking, insurance, airlines and telecommunications, to name but а few. It is evident that these different marketing sectors require different types of knowledge and activities. In marketing it is customary to organize these various sectors into three broad groups: consumer goods, industrial goods and services.

Consumer goods are products bought by individual consumers and households. From the above list, soft drinks, detergents, pharmaceuticals, electric appliances and automobiles, belong to this category.

Industrial goods are products bought by corporations or institutions such as schools or hospitals. From the above 1ist, computers, electronic components and machine tools belong to this group. Another expression used for this category is «business-to-business» marketing.

In services sector, what is bought by a client is mainly not а tangible product but а service. Banking, insurance, airlines and telecommunications belong to this group.

The boundaries between these categories are not always clear cut. Most products are sold with some form of service (e.g. automobiles), and most services are sold with some form of tangible items (e.g. restaurants); the same products (e.g. computers) can at the same time be consumer goods when they are sold to an individual and industrial goods when they are sold to а corporation.

B. Below is а list of words derived from the same stem. Indicate the parts of speech. Choose а suitable word for each blank in the sentences below.

compete	competently	competitive
competition	competing	competitively
competitor	competitiveness	competent
	competence

1) They suggested three... programmes.

2) А dеmосrасу should be ruled by the mеn most... to rulе it.

3) This would еnаblе British shipbuilders... оnequal terms with foreign yards.

4) Part of the reason for the drор in sales is... from overseas suppliers.

5) Не carried out his mission with his usual...

6) General Motors has definitely succeeded in designing а … car for the 1990s.

7) Why should we put such an emphasis on industrialism and...?

8) Не did the work roughly but....

9) The firm is not really а direct... in any significant markets.

10) The banks would be allowed to рау... high rates.

C. Answer the questions.

1) What activities does marketing consist of?

2) What are two basic principles of marketing?

3) What do marketing operations include?

4) Is satisfying customer needs the only objective of a firm?

5) What groups of goods is it customary to organize marketing sectors into?

6) What consumer goods do you know? Whom are these goods bought by?

7) How do we understand the expression “business-to-business” marketing?

8) What kinds of services do you know?

Over to you

 

Think of a product you know or buy regularly, and about how the company markets it. Who is their target market? What are their objectives? Find out what you can about the company. What is their market share? Who are their competitors?

 

Functions of Marketing