Basic Marketing [antikvár]

Preface The first edition of Basic Marketing pioneered an innovative structure—using the "four Ps" with a managerial approach—for the introductory marketing course. In the 30 years since publication of that first edition, there have been constant changes in marketing management. Some of the changes have been dramatic, and others have been subtle. Throughout all of these changes, Basic Marketing— and the supporting materials to accompany it—have been more widely used than any other teaching materials for introductory marketing. It is gratifying that the "four Ps" has proved to be an organizing structure that has worked well for millions of students and teachers. Of course, this position of leadership is not the result of a single strength—or one long-lasting innovation. On the contrary, with each new edition of Basic Marketing we have seized the opportunity to introduce innovations—and to set new standards of excellence. And our belief that attention to quality in every aspect of the text and support materials does make a difference is consistently reaffirmed by the enthusiastic response of students and teachers alike. We believe that the tenth edition of Basic Marketing is the highest quality teaching and learning resource ever available for the introductory course. The whole text and all of the supporting materials have been critically revised, updated, and rewritten. As In past editions, clear and interesting communication has been a priority. Careful explanations provide a crisp focus on the important "basics." At the same time, we have researched and carefully integrated hundreds of new examples that bring the concepts alive to heighten your interest and motivate learning. The tenth edition focuses special attention on changes taking place in today's dynamic markets. For example, throughout the tenth edition you'll see how computers and other advances in information technology are shaping new marketing opportunities and strategies. You'll learn about the changing relationships between producers and middlemen—including the increasing importance of big retail chains. You'll see how increasingly intense competition—both in the United States and around the world—is affecting marketing strategy planning. You'll even see why Russia and other centrally planned economies are making efforts to become more market oriented. Some other marketing texts have attempted to describe such changes. But what sets Basic Marketing apart is that the explanations and examples not only highlight the changes that are taking place today, but also equip students to see why these changes are taking place—and what changes to expect in the future. That is an important distinction—because marketing is dynamic. The text has been redesigned, too. A more open format has allowed us to be even more effective in incorporating illustrations—full-color graphs, figures, photographs—to reinforce key points and facilitate learning. We have done extensive research to refine and improve these learning elements as part of an overall redesign that makes important concepts and points even clearer to students. The aim of all this revising, refining, editing, and illustrating was to make sure that each student really does get a good feel for a market-directed system and how he or she can help it—and some company—run better. We believe marketing v