Philip Kotler: The Father of Marketing as We Know It

Does the concept of the 4 Ps of marketing ring a bell? If you run a business or work in this field, it probably does (a lot).

Well, this concept was created by Jerome McCarthy and popularized by Philip Kotler, whom many consider the father of modern marketing. His influence is so great that we still use the ideas and proposals he put forward more than 50 years ago.

For this reason, and because of his remarkable career, at Mailrelay we’re dedicating this article to him.

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Philip Kotler’s definition of marketing

One of the first things to look at to get to know this expert better is Philip Kotler’s definition of marketing.

For Kotler, marketing is the set of actions carried out to meet the needs that exist in the market.

When a company applies marketing actions, it gains certain advantages, such as recognition or sales.

More specifically, for Philip Kotler marketing is a process through which a particular segment of the population satisfies its needs and wants by creating and exchanging value.

Based on this definition, the American economist founded a consulting firm specializing in marketing strategy and planning. He has also published many books and coined famous quotes such as this one:

“The successful salesperson cares first about the customer and second about the product.”

Philip Kotler and his contributions to marketing

Now that we know how Philip Kotler defined marketing, aren’t you curious to learn a little more about him? Here are some key facts about his life:

● He was born in Chicago in 1931.

● He studied at DePaul University and later earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

● He earned a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

● He did two postdoctoral programs: one in mathematics at Harvard University and another in behavioral science, again at the University of Chicago.

● In 1962, he began teaching at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

● In 1967, he published the book that is still considered the bible of marketing: Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning and Control.

As you can imagine, his career has been full of important milestones. Below, we highlight some of them, including a selection of Philip Kotler’s books and other lessons and contributions he has made to marketing.

Philip Kotler’s main contributions

For Philip Kotler, marketing is a discipline closely linked to economics. He has also argued that marketing should be at the center of any company’s strategy. In other words, it isn’t enough for it to be part of the strategy: it should be a priority.

With this in mind, it’s worth highlighting some of the contributions of this distinguished economist who, among other things, has advised companies such as Motorola, Bank of America and IBM on marketing strategy.

He gave prestige to an undervalued discipline

Until Kotler came along, marketing didn’t get the recognition it deserved. Companies treated it as secondary, when it should have been the main player in business.

Thanks to Philip Kotler, marketing became a key part of business strategy at the time (and still is today).

He promoted a new strategic approach

His goal was to spread the idea that the customer, their satisfaction and the benefits they get from products or services should be at the heart of the business.

Other issues such as price or distribution matter, but they don’t carry the same weight. That’s why, for Kotler, the focus should always be on the customer: he argues that a marketing strategy can only succeed if it’s built around them.

He broadened the concept of marketing

Until then, marketing had been seen simply as a sales process. Kotler broadened the concept and gave it much more meaning.

Marketing became a way of communicating and exchanging value with customers. What’s more, this new concept applied not only to businesses but also to other areas such as politics and culture.

He introduced new concepts

You may have heard of “social marketing” and “demarketing”. Kotler helped coin both terms:

1. The first refers to one of the applications of marketing: influence. Marketing can be used to encourage people to change their behavior, as long as the change benefits them.

2. The second refers to what companies do to reduce demand when it’s too high.

Philip Kotler’s books

Throughout his career, Kotler has written a wide range of books that have had a huge impact on the history of marketing. They contain lessons like the ones we’ll see below, as well as concepts and knowledge that help any professional improve their skills.

Some of Philip Kotler’s most notable books are:

● Marketing 6.0: The Future Is Immersive

● Onlife Fashion: 10 Rules for the Future of High-End Fashion

● Marketing 5.0: Technology for Humanity

● MarkPlus Inc: Winning the Future – Marketing and Entrepreneurship in Harmony

● Retail 4.0: 10 Rules for the Digital Era

● Marketing 4.0: Moving from Traditional to Digital

● Good Works!

● Marketing 3.0: From Products to Customers to the Human Spirit

● Chaotics: The Business of Managing and Marketing in the Age of Turbulence

● Lateral Marketing: New Techniques for Finding Breakthrough Ideas

● Marketing: An Introduction

● Principles of Marketing

● Strategic Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations

● Social Marketing: Strategies for Changing Public Behavior

The list above is in roughly reverse chronological order: the most recent books are at the top and the oldest at the bottom.

To this list we must add, with special mention, the book that is still considered the bible of marketing: Marketing Management, now in its 17th edition.

Philip Kotler quotes

Besides his lessons, experience, books and major contributions, Kotler has a large collection of famous quotes that many marketers know by heart and even use as personal mottos. Here are a few:

● “If you’re in the same business five years from now, you’ll be out of business.” With this quote, Kotler urges business owners to move with the times rather than stand still or resist change. Failing to adapt can be the end.

● “The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.” For Kotler, the customer is at the center of every strategy. This quote makes that clear, while also stressing the importance of profitability.

● “The best advertising is done by satisfied customers.” If you put customers at the center of your strategy and look after them, they can become the best advertising a company has. Recommendations and word of mouth will bring new customers to your business.

● “If performance exceeds expectations, the customer is highly satisfied or delighted.” This quote is linked to the second one. The ideal way to make customers fall in love with a brand and recommend it is to exceed their expectations.

● “As the pace of change accelerates, companies can no longer rely on their old business practices to sustain prosperity.” As these quotes show, Kotler places great importance on adapting to change and on progress as a driver of competitiveness. Adapting to the new marketing is essential.

All these Philip Kotler quotes make us think. If you work in marketing or run a business, we recommend analyzing them in depth and making them your own.

Lessons from Philip Kotler’s work

From all these books and quotes, we can draw several lessons that are still completely valid today.

They are lessons that have left their mark on the history of marketing and can help each of us in some way:

Marketing has changed

Much of what used to work no longer has a big impact. Today, social media marketing and marketing that prioritizes relationships and interaction with consumers are more relevant.

In other words, the days when audiences only saw advertising are over. Now consumers can search online and find information about the product or service they’re going to buy on social platforms.

In short, the new marketing gives users more details before they buy. Customers are more informed and more qualified.

Social commitment is necessary

Philip Kotler was one of the first to emphasize that customers prefer to buy from brands committed to the environment and social causes. That’s why, for some time now, many companies have made social well-being a priority.

Today this is especially important, as there is great awareness of countless social and environmental movements.

A few years ago, the opposite was true: business owners put business interests ahead of those of society and the planet.

Segmentation is more efficient

Between offering products or services to a broad, generic audience and offering them to a very specific segment, Philip Kotler prefers the second option. It’s much more efficient.

It also gives companies an advantage: offering a solution tailored as closely as possible to the needs of the ideal customer makes it far more successful.

Innovate or leave the market

For Philip Kotler, a company that doesn’t innovate is bound to leave the market sooner or later. Everything around it moves forward and, if it doesn’t, it will fall behind until it disappears.

Kodak is a good example: a company that failed to innovate in time and was left behind.

Planning and measuring are a must

Marketing is more than advertising or writing sales proposals. To get good results, it’s essential to focus on activities such as planning and measurement.

Kotler places great importance on forecasting and on aligning the marketing strategy with the company’s overall strategy. Knowing the data you obtain is also especially useful for decision-making.

Co-creation benefits the business

In other words, when customers are involved in creating a product or service, companies create better offers that are much more aligned with their needs and wants.

Kotler supports involving customers in the creation and development of new products. Brands such as Lego and Doritos have done exactly that.

Build your brand

To stand out from other companies in your industry, the ideal is to build an experience that consumers will always remember and want to repeat.

Philip Kotler often uses the example of Starbucks, a company that, besides selling coffee, offers a comfortable place to get online, chat with colleagues or partners, or work.

Conclusions

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to call Philip Kotler the father of the marketing we all do today.

Philip Kotler’s lessons have a huge influence on today’s marketing, especially on digital strategies.

Throughout his career, he has made major contributions so that this discipline is given the weight and value it deserves in every company.

If you want to expand your knowledge or advance your career, we definitely recommend reading some of his books. You could learn more from them than from a university degree.

We hope you now understand the importance and role of this expert. So, are you ready to put his teachings into practice?

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