Marketing - Strategic or Tactical?

Some organizations commit a big mistake by treating marketing as tactical rather than strategic. Generally such organizations are players in low involvement category. They are sales driven with strong market share and operate in environment having lower intensity of competition. As such, investment in building a strong marketing infrastructure is not considered a priority and instead resources are diverted to push short term sales. But the moment competitive pressure strikes, things start falling apart.

The problem arises when marketing is treated as a function subordinate to sales. In such situations, sales strategy tends to drive marketing rather than marketing strategy drive sales strategy. As a result, focus of marketing shifts from long term brand building to short term sales support.

Marketing is a strategic domain by nature. It involves objective assessment of the whole and aligning of parts in the right direction to achieve desired results. The moment marketing is relegated to play a solely tactical role, decay sets in the edifice of an organization.

Marketing is too important to be left to play a secondary role or second fiddle to sales. It has to be the driver of an organization if the organization aims to remain in business and maintain its competitive advantage over a long period of time.

Treating marketing as a secondary function is like signing the death warrant of an organization!