In addition to consumers, what other people, groups, and environmental forces interact to influence an organization's marketing activities?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Foremost is the organization itself, whose mission and objectives determine what business it is in and what goals it seeks. Within the organization, management is responsible for establishing these goals. The marketing department works closely with a network of other departments and employees to help provide the customer-satisfying products required for the organization to survive and prosper. The marketing department is responsible for facilitating relationships, partnerships, and alliances with the organization's customers, its shareholders (or often representatives of groups served by a nonprofit organization), its suppliers, and other organizations. Environmental forces such as social, economic, technological, competitive, and regulatory forces also shape an organization's marketing activities. Finally, an organization's marketing decisions are affected by and, in turn, often have an important impact on society as a whole. The organization must strike an acceptable balance among all these influences. See Figure 1-1 in the textbook.