ABSTRACT
At its core, marketing is a competitive process designed to result in consumers selecting your business over the countless other competitive alternatives available to them. In the twenty-first century, marketing also serves as a change agent because it focuses on the rapidly changing needs and wants of customers. It guides organizations to research, design, and develop strategies that respond to an increasingly unpredictable and competitive business environment. At its core, then, marketing is innovation. In other words, it anticipates change and makes adjustments to change; it is the change mechanism – the innovator – for the business. In this chapter, you will learn a new definition of marketing and the four key strategic marketing strategies that a hospitality organization can use to position its brand in the minds of consumers.
