Key Functions of a Marketer

A marketer performs a connected set of functions, each of which contributes to moving a good or service from the point of production to the point of final consumption, in a form, at a place, and at a time the consumer wants it.

1. Identifying consumer needs and wants — through market research, surveys, feedback, and observation of buying patterns, a marketer finds out what potential customers genuinely need, and what gap in the market an offering could fill.
2. Developing the offering (product/service planning) — deciding on the features, quality, variety, branding, and packaging of the good or service so that it actually matches the need identified.
3. Pricing — setting a price that covers costs and a reasonable margin while remaining acceptable to the target buyers, taking into account competitors' prices and the value the offering delivers.
4. Promotion — informing and persuading potential buyers that the offering exists and is worth buying, through advertising, personal selling, sales promotion schemes, and public relations.
5. Distribution (physical movement and channel selection) — choosing the right channel (direct selling, wholesalers and retailers, online platforms) and physically moving the goods through transport and warehousing so that they reach the buyer conveniently.
6. Selling and closing the exchange — the actual transaction in which ownership (or the right to use a service) passes to the buyer against payment.
7. After-sales service and relationship building — handling complaints, providing warranty service, and maintaining contact with customers so that they are satisfied enough to buy again and to recommend the offering to others; this function is what turns a single sale into a lasting customer relationship.
8. Risk-bearing — a marketer often bears the risk of a product not selling, of prices moving unfavourably before a sale, or of a forward contract not working out as expected, and prices this risk into the overall offering. …