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INTRODUCTION

13 May, 2016 - 13:23

The success of Elvis Presley Enterprises was a result of the insights and courage of Priscilla Presley. Despite her lack of formal training in marketing, she exhibited a creative approach toward doing business that will become more and more necessary as the twenty-first century continues. Innovative thinking has become a prerequisite for success in today's global environment, which is saturated with near clone products being sold by millions of comparable competitors. The status quo will no longer suffice. The need for constant change paired with clear strategies is now essential.

Marketing constitutes just one of the functions available to every business. Along with research, production, finance, accounting, and a myriad of other functions, marketing contributes to the ability of a business to succeed. In many businesses, marketing may be deemed of highest importance; in others, it may be relegated to a lesser role. The very existence of business depends upon successful products and services, which in turn rely on successful marketing. For this reason, every business person will benefit from even basic marketing knowledge. Moreover, marketing principles have been effectively applied to several nonbusiness institutions for more than 30 years. Bankers, physicians, accounting firms, investment analysts, politicians, churches, architectural firms, universities, and the United Way have all come to appreciate the benefits of marketing.

A word of warning: there is a long-standing myth that marketing is easy. After going through this book you may conclude that marketing is interesting, fun, challenging—even vague—but it is not easy. Whether you like numbers or hate numbers, like people or hate people, like doing the same thing every day or like constant change there are opportunities for you in marketing.