The fundamental aspects of marketing media and audience feedback, in terms of their essential key concepts, promotional content and promotional media, are significant to the large proportion of media industries and organisations engaged in this important resourceful activity. It consists of the social and managerial processes by which products, services and value are exchanged in order to fulfil needs and wants, primarily achieved through a process which includes, but is not limited to, the stimulating and dynamic mediums of advertising and promotion where the feedback of various audiences is crucial to the state of media performance and proficiency.

For this unit of work, an understanding of the different aspects of marketing and how it is completed professionally will be defined, established and consequently developed to increase my level of knowledge regarding the numerous methods of investigating research by media producers and official research bodies. A similar approach to audience feedback will be conducted to progress towards a complete and conversant conclusion. In addition, I will also increase my understanding of the activities involved in creating marketing plans, producing advertisements and promotions to support a campaign, gaining feedback from an audience concerning the advertising campaign and relevant products, and evaluating their feedback.

Marketing is, however, one of the terms in academia that does not have one commonly agreed upon definition. In Peter Drucker’s book, The Practice of Management, he wrote that “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business”.2 In addition, marketing can be defined as “…an organisational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its stakeholders”.

I appreciate the fact that even after a better part of a century, the debate continues. For the sake of this assignment, I trust that marketing consists of the activities involved in the flow of goods and services from the point of production to the point of discussion. I promise not to ignore the fact that audience feedback is equally important to the organisational function in which a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers, and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its stakeholders, is sufficiently evident in a number of different contexts.

When completing this unit, I will ensure that I am aware of the fact that marketing media and audience feedback involves human activity directed at satisfying needs and wants through exchange processes, and is the management process of anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer requirements profitably. As I progress throughout this assignment, I will familiarise myself with such information and respond to the many definitions in a methodical or disciplined manner.

The challenge of having the opportunity and time to research this area is a major aspect for the work undertaken as part of this unit, studying its definitions and history. The research’s purpose is to develop my overall understanding of marketing media and audience feedback, as well as any surrounding subtopics which will provide a fine insight as to what’s involved with both contributory elements which combine to create the sphere in which this unit is based around. People’s lack of knowledge regarding initial marketing media and consequent audience feedback can cause a reluctance to accept them, something that was apparent to me before undertaking this assignment and which will be greatly reinforced throughout.

It is important to understand that a market-focused, or consumer-focused, organisation first determines what its potential customers desire, and then builds the product or service. Marketing theory and practice is justified in the belief that customers use a product or service because they have a need, or because a product or service has a perceived benefit. Two major factors of marketing are the recruitment of new customers (acquisition) and the retention and expansion of relationships with existing customers (base management). These areas will be explained and discussed in more detail throughout.

However, I will also be aware of the criticism of marketing media and audience feedback as well. A number of aspects of marketing media, especially promotion, are the subject of criticism with relation to audience feedback. Based on the assumption that supply and demand are independent, it is especially problematic in classical economic theory. Critics not only point out that marketing techniques have been used to achieve morally dubious ends by governments, criminals and businesses, but acknowledge that marketing media and audience feedback have legitimate uses in connecting goods and services to the consumers who want them.

In addition, most marketers believe that marketing techniques themselves are amoral. While it is ethically neutral, it can be used for negative purposes, but it can also have a dramatically positive influence on consumer welfare.4 Furthermore, The Observer’s survey among 1,206 UK adult consumers in 2001 highlighted some of the stark changes our society has gone through in the last two decades, which raises a question on the CIM’s definition of marketing (anticipating, identifying and satisfying customer needs profitably) and its effectiveness in consumer marketing.

I will need to understand that core marketing elements such as segmentation, targeting and positioning are still relevant in the modern (or post-modern) world although they are complex topics that need a high level of effort, intelligent thinking and resources to be implemented successfully.5 It is also important that I am aware that some scholars such as Stephen Brown challenge the marketing concept in an extreme language. Their statements, though self-contradicting and sometimes unfair, are relevant.

To conclude this introduction, I intend to develop my knowledge, understanding and skills in a number of ways, through analysing the marketing mix for existing media products, producing a marketing plan for a new media product, producing advertising and promotional materials for a new media product, presenting a new media product and adverts/promotions to an audience and gain feedback, and evaluating feedback about the new media product and the advertising campaign. This will build the foundations for future progression into this area of the media in a number of ways.

AIMS AND ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

The main aim of this unit is to understand the different aspects of marketing and how it is done professionally whilst knowing how to investigate research by media producers and official research bodies, examining various surrounding issues. These issues will form the subtopics of the unit and will help focus a clearer picture of what is involved with marketing media and why audience feedback is needed.