The purpose of writing this article is to explore how marketing is perceived by different people, why marketing matters, and how it helps businesses—especially global brands—build sustainable success.
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with businesses of different sizes, from local companies serving small communities to global B2B and B2C organizations operating across multiple markets. One observation has remained consistent throughout my journey: almost every business leader says they understand the importance of marketing. However, when I ask a simple question—what does marketing mean to you? —the answers vary significantly.
Large organizations often view marketing as a strategic function that directly influences business growth. Marketing teams are involved in major business decisions, from portfolio planning and product development to pricing, consumer strategy, and long-term brand development. These organizations invest heavily in consumer research, market intelligence, brand planning, and experienced marketing talent because they understand that marketing is not a cost center, it is a growth driver.
In contrast, many small or local businesses often associate marketing primarily with advertising. To them, marketing is social media content, paid advertising, media planning, promotional flyers, logo development, creative design, or running campaigns on digital platforms like Meta Platforms and Google. While these activities are certainly part of marketing, they represent only the visible execution layer, not the strategic foundation.
This naturally raises an important question: why is there such a difference in perception?
A major part of the answer lies in the nature of the business and the maturity of the organization. I spent eight years working in a global FMCG environment, where marketing and sales functions were central to strategic planning. Whenever long-term business agendas were developed, marketing was responsible for identifying growth opportunities, understanding market trends, evaluating consumer demand, and building portfolio strategies. Based on those strategic inputs, annual brand plans were created, sales forecasts were developed, and the broader organization aligned around those growth assumptions. Supply chain planned capacity, finance allocated investments, human resources developed hiring plans, and other functions built their strategies around projected market demand. In that environment, marketing was not simply supporting the business, it was helping to shape it.
The reason is straightforward: marketing is often the function closest to the consumer. It understands changing behaviors, emerging needs, market trends, competitive dynamics, and market opportunities. Because of this direct connection to the market, marketing holds a uniquely strategic position in driving business growth.
Marketing begins with understanding people. It begins with understanding how consumers think, what influences their decisions, what unmet needs exist in the market, and why customers choose one product over another. Marketing is deeply connected to consumer psychology, behavioral science, and strategic business thinking. Advertising communicates value, but marketing defines what that value should be in the first place.
Early in my career, one of my mentors shared a simple line that permanently shaped how I view marketing: every successful brand must understand point of parity and point of differentiation. Point of parity allows you to compete in a category. Point of differentiation gives consumers a reason to choose you. Without differentiation, products become commodities, and when that happens, price becomes the only competitive advantage.
Another misconception many businesses have is expecting marketing success too quickly. Consumers do not become loyal to a brand after one advertisement or one purchase. They move through a journey, awareness, consideration, trial, repeat purchase, and eventually loyalty. Advertising may create awareness, product and pricing may drive trial, and quality may encourage repeat purchase, but loyalty is built through consistency, trust, and experience over time.
At the same time, marketing alone cannot solve every business challenge. Even the best marketing strategy cannot build a strong brand if the organization itself fails to deliver a consistent customer experience, maintain product quality, or build trust over time. Marketing can create interest and drive trial, but long-term brand success depends on the organization’s ability to consistently deliver on its promise.
This is why brand building requires patience. It is not simply about driving immediate transactions. It is about building long-term memory, emotional connection, and trust in the consumer’s mind.
