Week One – DQ 1,
What is the definition of marketing? What are the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating marketing into the sales function of an organization? Do you think that marketing should be included as part of the sales organization within a company? Explain why or why not.

Marketing is the foundation, direction, and/or functions an entity uses to produce a product, service, or idea and makes certain that the product, service, or idea they produce reaches consumers. There are a couple benefits and drawbacks to incorporating marketing into the sales function of an organization. The benefits of incorporating marketing into the sales function of an organization is the marketing function can decrease operating expense defining the consumer’s needs and wants which will decrease the cost. The drawbacks of incorporating marketing into the sales function of an organization deals with micro marketing and macro marketing. Being socially responsible and ethical to both, consumers and non consumers, may increase sales costs, due to production costs, and decrease sales profits (Perreault, Cannon, McCarthy, 2011). I do feel that marketing should be included as part of the sales organization within the company because services that the company provides in a marketing sales aspect can apply the analysis so that the consumers needs and wants can be analyzed.

Perreault, W. D. Jr., Cannon, J. P., & McCarthy, E. J. (2011).Basic marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

Week One – DQ 2,

Assume you are the newly hired marketing manager of a company. As you spend time with other peer marketing managers, you realize that the company does not place an emphasis on planning within the marketing organization. Why is planning important in marketing? What are the essential components of a marketing plan? How would you