Making Connections

Last year the American Marketing Association came out with an updated definition of "marketing."

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

Huh?  Funny that a marketing association couldn't find a better way to define their own activity.

At lunch today, I decided on my own definition.  "Marketing is making connections."  It's finding the products that connect with the market.  And it's finding ways to connect people to the product.  It speaks of the activity in terms of a relationship.  That seems just about right when the experience of your product is at least as important as the product itself.

Marketing is making connections.  I do marketing.  But I think I'll be able to do it better holding on to this simple expression.  It won't let me forget about the relationship.