Communication Through Writing
Marketing Discourse Community
Ross Menia
A key component in the field of marketing is the ability to communicate value to
customers through the use of oral, written, and visual communication. Strong relationships with
customers are critical to marketers. They research a segment or demographic, meet their needs,
and keep them coming back to buy more. Good relationships between these individuals or
groups make the whole process more efficient and beneficial for all parties. I find it fascinating
that marketers can learn so much about a segment of customers with relatively little information.
They can almost pinpoint how much interest a group of individuals will show toward a product of
service, their buying habits, and their mannerisms. When they are wrong, they can easily adjust
so that they target the correct group. I would enjoy exploring a target segment and then creating
advertisements for products or services that cater to their specific needs. To be able to cater to a
specific group of people marketers need to be able to clearly express useful information to them
while remaining truthful. The American Marketing Association website promotes this spread of
accurate information from one marketer to another and from the marketing field as a whole to
consumers.
There is a misconception that marketers use advertisements to take advantage of
consumers. They think that advertising has an ulterior motive and is often dishonest. There’s
one thing that you can take away from reading about the AMA website that opposes this view:
The American Marketing association promotes the spread of accurate information to people
throughout the world. Some buzzwords shown throughout the site include: Development,
research, guidance, insight, and advice. These are all words that describe learning,
advancement, and bettering oneself and those around you.
Marketers use a plethora of written and oral communication such as Blogs, press
releases, marketing research, visual presentations, advertisements, and articles on a daily basis.
These tools allow them to reach as many demographics as possible. The main audience that will
see or hear these communications are those that may buy or partake in the product or service the
marketer is promoting. In order to effectively communicate value to this audience, marketers have
to use language that targets them specifically. If they are trying to sell one product to teenagers
and another to the elderly, different tones and words will be used. They may try to make an
impression on the younger group to create future customers, whereas they may have to persuade
the older group to try something new or different than what they are used to. While all of the
marketing tools are important to use, advertisements are the cornerstone of the marketing
process. Advertising allows marketers to persuade their audience to take action. This action
usually comes in the form of buying a product or service that will better the individual’s life.
Advertisements can come in many different forms. They can be shown through a website,
magazine, newspaper, on television, through the radio, and on billboards. These mediums
through which information can be transferred allow marketers to reach a large demographic with
dynamic tastes.
Marketing Research also plays an important role in product development. A company
can pay market researchers to explore the target market, determined whether or not they would
even buy the product or service, find out how much they are willing to pay, and how many of the
items they will buy. The final research is compiled and usually put into a presentation so that the
company can decide whether or not they want to move forward with their new product. (McNeal,
2012)
The America Marketing Association website exemplifies the marketing industry in the
United States today. The website was created to connect a community of individuals with the
same interest of marketing. They have the ability to write and share their own information rather
than simply consuming and absorbing information from a single source. Marketers from all over
the world can share ideas and give their own opinion to others, which stimulates discussions and
allows people to think and talk about things that they normally wouldn’t. The website was created
for an audience of professionals with an interest in Marketing. Anyone can gain information from
the site but those who are active in the marketing field will get the most out of it. There is a
membership fee to join the AMA, but you can also use the website and get limited information for
free. A membership gives an individual access to podcasts and webcasts, research reports
written my leading marketers, forums and an online community filled with trusted peers, weekly
newsletters, and discounts on AMA conferences and training. When you first click on the link for
the AMA website the main four tabs are displayed: resource library, events, career management,
and community. This tells me that this community is all about improvement and helping one
another. There are plenty of resources that can be used personally or shared with others. An
example of a resource that AMA members can use is the “Marketing News”. This magazine is a
publication that, according to the AMA website, “…looks at the issues driving marketing, including
strategy, innovation, best practices, branding, technology and globalization. Marketing News also
covers the industry’s basics, the core concepts around which winning programs are built.”
(Kullman, 2012) There is a description about the contributors that includes where they currently
work, where they went to school, and what other articles or books they have written. This
information lets the readers know that the information they are learning about and sharing with
others is correct and relevant to professionals in the field today. Accurate information is crucial in
the marketing field because that information is spread to consumers, who look to professionals to
make decisions that could affect their family and friends. The website also shows blog posts and
news to keep those interested updated. Staying updated with changes in a business field can
mean the difference between thriving and barely surviving in the work world.
While the term “marketing” may mean different things to different people, the main
purpose is to communicate and spread accurate information. With the advancements in
technology today there is a growing importance to keep your finger on the figurative pulse of
whatever industry you are a part. This idea of connection is clearly reflected in the AMA website.
The marketing industry has grown tremendously in the last century and will continue to do so well
into the future.
Reflective Note: I do think I can use this paper in my professional portfolio. It discusses
the function and usefulness of the American Marketing Association, a very important piece of the
marketing puzzle. As a result of writing this paper, I am now using the AMA website in several of
my class assignments. I also learned a number of important facts about the marketing industry
that will be useful in my career.
Bibliography
McNeal, M. (2012, September 17). Show, Don’t Tell: Visual Content is a Brand’s Best Friend.
Retrieved from:
http://www.marketingpower.com/ResourceLibrary/Pages/newsletters/mtl/2012/9/visual-contentbrands-best-friend.aspx
Kullman, M. (2012, January). Marketing News. Retrieved from:
http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/AMA Publications/Marketing/News/Marketing
News.aspx
Graiko, S. (2010, November 12). Market Research for New Product Development. Retrieved
from:
http://www.marketingpower.com/ResourceLibrary/Pages/market_research_new_prod_dev.aspx