Proud to be Marketing: Why should we go for science, mindset, and function agnostic?

1. What is Marketing: Mindset, Science and/or Function?

In his Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith noted: "...the interest of the producer ought to be attended to, only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer"

Already in 1776, Smith indicated that the interest of the customer supersedes the interest of the producer. I believe that he therefore provided a foundation of a very simple and easy to remember definition of Marketing:

Marketing is customer-oriented decision making.

Customer here is usually defined as someone who buys a product or service. But I would adjust that customer definition a bit and add a value aspect – for buying as a transaction alone may not be sufficient: I think a customer is someone who benefits from a product or service. It can therefore be individuals, families, groups of people in general or an entire society. This is important as we change from trying to just sell something - towards creating value for someone. You will also see that I decided to not use Adam Smith’s word consumer (more transactional connotation), but rather the word customer (more value connotation).

Back to marketing: In the above definition we speak of “orientation”, which is a mindset category. Furthermore, the definition is pretty much in line with Manfred Bruhn, Peter Drucker and Philip Kotler - three marketing gurus, who all spoke of the importance of understanding the customer. According to Kotler’s ideal so much that "selling becomes unnecessary."

However, in many organizations marketing is seen as a function that is commercial, focused on sales and not related so much to science - e.g., in the pharmaceutical industry one uses the phrase science mostly in context of medical, research or other life science functions.

But as I will argue, Marketing is a science too.

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?2. Argument one: Marketing is a social science.

?When we say “science”, we very often mean “life science”. I would argue, while life science is a very important one, it is not the only one. There are also social and behavioral sciences that look at how people behave, be it alone or in groups. In the NEJM, and already in 1952, Dr. Hugh R Leavell wrote:

“It is convenient arbitrarily to separate the natural sciences, such as chemistry, physics and biology, from the social sciences, including sociology, social anthropology and social and personality psychology.”

I would make the case that understanding customer needs and behaviors and the associated quest to find solutions is science – a Latin word which means “knowledge” and “experience”. Moreover, we should follow Dr. Leavells advice and seek to integrate the different disciplines of science, not arbitrarily separate them.

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3. Argument two: It is more about the voice from the customer than a voice to the customer

As Kotler insinuated, the goal is to understand customer needs so much, that selling becomes unnecessary. His is of course an ideal and not intended to downplay the importance of sales and distribution. But it suggests that we need to be in contact with customers more, not only through a veil of market research or the milky glass of an interview studio – but spending real time, sharing real observations and with utmost empathy and curiosity. Only then can we understand and experience the real struggles and opportunities that inspire us to develop solutions. Listening is a very human act that involves respect for the speaker, an open ear to listen, 100% attention, Eyes to see the non-verbal and the heart to feel the meaning. As some of the readers might have guessed, I am looking at the Chinese signs of “Listen” while I am writing this.

In summary: Marketing seeks to understand and experience, much more than it seeks to speak, or sell.

4. Argument three: If we make customers our CEOs, servant leadership prospers

Consequently, if we believe arguments one and two are true – the customer becomes the person we report to, our CEO. Company functions will then only be the means to listen, experience and then serve. Our end objectives will be function agnostic, and every functional contribution or target back engineered. In this model, all leaders become servants to their teams, to enable and empower them to listen to, experience and serve for the customer. In a management meeting, most questions will be like “What would it take?”, “What do you need?”, “How can I help?” – in the true spirit of customer centricity.

This is what Marketing can do: Unite people behind a customer mindset.

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Conclusion

In summary, my ask is very simple: Let us treat marketing as a science of customer centricity, it being more about hearing from customers than speaking to them. Let us look at it above functions, but as a mean to unite people behind a customer mindset.

Why? Because we will enrich the science of listening and serving. For more value and a better society.

Many thanks for reading. Please leave comments and do not hesitate to challenge.

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