The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) definition of "Marketing"

Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.

Marketing is not (just) the sales support function the leaflet organiser the advertising spender the PR organiser the exhibition manager the product expert
. . . although it could be all or any of these; or much more......

There are a few things I would like to draw your attention to concerning this definition

1. It is a process, and not just the production of a single piece of promotional material.
2. It is all about satisfying customer needs, and those companies that anticipate the needs and respond to them first and/or best will win.
3. The marketing department does not have exclusive rights over this process. A good marketeer will ensure all departments within a company have input into this process.
4. This process has to be profitable for the company. An obvious statement you might think but I'm sure we can all come up with examples of where this has not necessarily happened.

The following table attempts to give you an idea of the breadth of tasks involved in a marketing plan and the variation of weapons in the marketing armoury. Your plan does not need to contain all these elements but they should have at least been considered in your business planning process.

	Objectives Strategy Tactics + Time & Events Sponsorship Sales website Advertising Direct Mail E-mail Promotions Exhibitions  Newsgroups PR  Price Search Engines Literature   Directories

	American Marketing Association definition of 'marketing'
	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 organizational goals.