Framework

***this post is a work in progress and I would greatly appreciate your input as this gets refined***

A simple question, right? I wonder if it would be easier to explain what marketing isn’t. For the longest time, I would get asked what I do for work and answer “digital marketing” and that seemed to be a conversation stopper. More recently, I have been getting replies back like “Isn’t all marketing digital”? That led me on this journey of wanting to map out what is marketing.

First off though, here are a few definitions by some marketing greats that do answer the question, what is marketing.

“The goal of marketing is to create customers who create customers.”
Philip Kotler

“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits them and sells itself.”
Peter Drucker

“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do. So you can’t go out and ask people, you know, what the next big [thing.] There’s a great quote by Henry Ford, right? He said, ‘If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse’.”
Steve Jobs

The image below shows where I have landed so far, the 10 functions of marketing. Although Digital Marketing is one of these pillars and interacts with all of the other pillars, there is a lot to marketing that isn’t “digital marketing”.

The SWOT Framework
The SWOT analysis framework was developed in the 1960s by Albert Humphrey, a business consultant at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI). Initially part of a research project designed to help businesses identify growth and improvement strategies, the SWOT framework evaluates a company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This 2×2 matrix helps businesses assess both internal and external factors that influence success. It is commonly used in strategic planning, project assessments, and competitive analysis to support informed decision-making.

• Internal Factors: Strengths and Weaknesses
• External Factors: Opportunities and Threats

The Strengths of SWOT
SWOT analysis is valuable because it provides a structured way to assess a company’s current position and strategic possibilities. By understanding both internal and external factors, businesses can leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and mitigate threats. This leads to more comprehensive planning and a balanced approach to growth and risk.

The Weaknesses of SWOT
While SWOT is a widely-used tool, it does have limitations:

• Subjectivity: SWOT analysis can be subjective, as they typically rely only on employees perspectives and opinions that may vary.
• Lack of Prioritization: SWOT doesn’t prioritize factors, so it may not clarify which issues or opportunities are most critical.
• Static Snapshot: SWOT captures a moment in time and may not account for rapidly changing market conditions.

SWOT Component Examples
Strengths:

• Strong brand reputation
• High customer loyalty
• Skilled workforce

Weaknesses

• Limited digital presence
• High operating costs
• Outdated technology

Opportunities

• Expansion into new markets
• Emerging consumer trends (e.g., eco-friendly products)
• Partnerships with influencers or other brands

Threats

• Increased competition
• Regulatory changes
• Economic downturns impacting consumer spending